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EUTM Mali (European Union Training Mission Mali) is a European Union multinational military training mission headquartered in Bamako, Mali, which is training and advising the military of Mali. EUTM Mali will not be involved in combat operations in the north of the country and does not have an executive mandate. 22 European nations are engaged in this mission and have sent soldiers to the Republic of Mali. EUTM Mali is one of the elements of a global approach organized by the EU in Mali defined within theS trategy for the security and development within the region of Sahel “ .” This mission is within the frame of international law, in order to sustain the effort of the modernization of the Malian Army. What is at stake is to improve MAF’s (Malian Armed Forces') military capacities and their efficiency in order to enable them, under the civilian command, to reestablish their country’s territorial integrity.



The costs of the mission are estimated at 12.3 million euros defined by the EU Council for a term of 15 months, which is the mandate received by the mission. This budget covers what is called “common costs” and which permits the functioning of the chief of state and to pay for the particular competences and certain transports. Every country is responsible for the shipment of materials and the costs of their soldiers.

The mission consists of 200 instructors, 150 soldiers to provide support and security coming from France (1 company), Czech Republic and the Spanish army (one platoon each nation), and 200 officers and NCO,s. posted at the Main Headquarters in Bamako, where EUTM’s chief of staff is, and the Forward Headquarters (FHQ) where the boot camp where trainers and the force protection unit are placed. This FHQ is in Koulikoro, 60 kms north of Bamako. These 200 soldiers are in charge of the command chain, advice of the local authorities, medical support, medical evacuation and logistics. Besides, there is a sustaining cell in Brussels in charge of assuring coordination and playing the role of liaison with the authorities in Brussels.

EUTM Mali’s goal is to meet the operational needs of the MAF supporting them on two pillars:

a) Support to the formation of the MAF, by means of the training of four battalions (approximately 3,000 soldiers devoted to combat, supply and support) mainly the domains of infantry, armored cavalry, artillery, engineers and river crossing. They have effectively started their mission on 2nd April for the basic formation and the 29nd April for the specialists. The average duration of the formation of every unit would be 10 weeks. To train the four units 10 months will be necessary. EUTM Mali’s goal is to instruct first of all the new battalions out of forces in reserve, then the battalions coming from the front after the rotation. We can envisage, as the Malian authorities have asked us for, to train the young recruits on condition that their trainers would be experienced. However, that circumstance will not change the concept of the instruction.

b) Advice and experienced assessment in commandment and control, the logistic chain and human resources, and by the same token, formation in humanitarian international law and protection of civilians and human rights. Furthermore, EUTM will offer advice and assistance to the Malian Ministry of Defense and to the structure of command. This is one of the pillars of the EUTM mission. It is envisaged to support the Malian government and chief of state to reinforce the organization and efficiency of the military chain of command, and especially, within the domains of the management of human resources, formation, systems of command and logistics. The European officers will work in close coordination with their Malian homologues.

The chronological succession of events is as follow:

On 10th December 2012, the concept of management of the crisis is adopted.

On 24th December 2012, there was an official petition of deployment of the EUTM made by the Malian Interim President Dioncounda Traoré. This mission is then placed within the frame of international law, in order to sustain the effort of the modernization of the Malian Army. In order to do so, EUTM is in Mali to enforce the law and the protection of human rights and humanitarian international law are essential components of the mission, not only during the formation of the soldiers, but also through the advising of the MAF in order to establish authority and confidence within the chain of command.

On 17th January 2013 EU foreign ministers agreed on a special meeting in Brussels, at which the Malian Foreign Office Minister Hubert Coulibaly was present, to immediately start the training mission for the Malian military. The commander of the mission is French Army the Brigade General François Lecointre (born in 1962). Furthermore, on that 17th January General François Lecointre, commanding officer of the French Army's 9th Light Armoured Marine Brigade[1] has been nominated as first commander of EUTM Mali.

On Friday 8th February, the precursory element made out of about 20 liaison officers arrived at Bamako in order to have conversations with the Malian authorities to define sharply which were going to be the troops that we are going to be trained. This team was also in charge of making a inventory of fixtures with the Malian authorities not only for the chain of command but also for logistic and human resources, technical equipment purposes which prepared the arrival of the chief of state and the trainers, and a force protection element. This inventory of fixtures allowed the preparation of the advice and experience mission which begun within the following days.

On 18th February the EU Foreign Affairs Council launched the EU Training Mission in Mali, approved the roadmap of the mission, and the required military capabilities. On Wednesday 20th February 2013, the official launching of EUTM in Bamako took place.

The arrival in Mali of the EU trainers begun at mid-March.

On 2nd April the official creation of the first Malian Battalion took place with the presence of General Lecointre. The Malian soldiers themselves chose the name "Waraba" ("The Lion" in the local Bambara language) as their official name.

EUTM has links with France "nation cadre" ("leading nation" in French) with more than 200 soldiers deployed for the mission. The other two main contributors to the missions are Germany (which has deployed the field hospital at Koulikoro called "Role 2) and Spain. This link with France is also connected to the Serval operation in the north of Mali, with which EUTM shares the same goal, to help Mali to free the north of its territory. Notwithstanding, EUTM Mali’s mission is a mission of training and advice. The fact that France is the leading nation of this mission must be understood in the terms that it will facilitate the relationships with the operation Serval.