The European External Action Service, led by Josep Borrell, wrote to Malian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop on March 9, asking for guarantees to uphold the EUTM mission to train Malian armed forces.
as reported from Brussels, Pierre Benazet
Europeans would like to be sure that the approximately 16,000 Malian soldiers trained by the EUTM will not one day end up Russian mercenaries from the Wagner Group. This is the purpose of this letter sent by the Head of European Diplomacy to the Malian Foreign Minister.
In Brussels, the European External Action Service does not confirm the contents of Josep Borrell’s letter to Abdoulaye Diop. Such a letter is “by its nature confidential”, according to European diplomacy, which also sees a good reason not to dwell on its content, namely the fact that “the decision has not yet been taken”.
The EU wants guarantees. The maintenance of the two European missions in Mali, and in particular the EUTM military training mission, has always been linked by Josep Borrell to the presence of the Takuba and Barkhane forces. Maize the notice of the latter’s departurenow raises the question of the future of European education.
The date of dispatch of this letter is in any case after the assignment has been sent backin Malito assess the continuation of the EUTM, “under current political conditions”. This is why, here on the part of European diplomacy, there is a demand for guarantees for the use of the Malian armed forces trained by European soldiers.
At present, consultations are well under way between the countries of the European Union on the appropriateness of retaining missions in Mali. Seeing Malian soldiers trained by European soldiers end up under the command of Wagner’s Russian mercenaries is the great fear of Europeans who have rightly interrupted their EUTM mission in the Central African Republic for identical reasons.
► Listening too: French withdrawal from Mali: “It is doubtful that Russian forces can do better”
