The Council of the EU has decided to extend the mandate of the civilian Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) mission EUCAP Sahel Mali until 31 January 2023, the institution announced on Monday 11 January. The current mandate of the mission runs until 14 January 2021.
The EU Council decided to adapt the mandate of EUCAP Sahel Mali. In order to support the Malian dynamic in restoring State authority, as well as the implementation of the Accord for Peace and Reconciliation in Mali, the mission will assist and advise the Internal Security Forces (ISF) in the implementation of security sector reform.
The aim is to improve the operational effectiveness of these forces, to re-establish hierarchical chains “through a more coherent management of resources” and to strengthen the role of the administrative and judicial authorities with regard to the management and supervision of their missions by contributing to the prevention of corruption and impunity.
The redeployment of the ISF to the centre of the country and supporting the redeployment of the civil administrative authorities to the centre of Mali “in a progressive and modular process” based on good governance principles are other ambitions.
The missions of the Regional Advisory and Coordination Cell (RACC) have also been adapted. Thus, in close cooperation with the existing CSDP missions in the Sahel, the RACC aims to improve cooperation and coordination between the G5 Sahel structures and the G5 Sahel countries in order to enhance regional cooperation and operational capabilities in the field of defence and security.
Strengthening the national capacities of the G5 Sahel countries, preparing and supporting the regionalisation of the CSDP action and supporting the EU Delegations in these countries and the secretariat of the Partnership for Security and Stability in the Sahel (P3S), facilitating and supporting the organisation of information collection and sharing with all G5 Sahel partners are other objectives.
For the period from 15 January 2021 to 31 January 2023, the EU Council decided to allocate a budget of €89.1 million to the mission.
Furthermore, according to a document from the Political and Security Committee, the mandate of the head of the mission, French Police General Hervé Flahaut, who took up his post on 1 January 2021, is expected to be extended in the coming days until 14 January 2022. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)