The ceiling on troops that may be deployed as part of the European Union Training Mission (EUTM) Mali will remain unchanged at 300. They will continue to train Malian soldiers in Bamako, the capital, and in the north of the country. The mandate is to be extended until 31 May 2018.

The mission area covers Malian territory up to the River Niger loop, including the cities of Gao and Timbuktu.

Focus on training

The European Union Training Mission (EUTM) Mali aims to enable Mali’s armed forces to address the challenges in the country independently in future. They are to ensure the security and territorial integrity of their country without external assistance. Since the start of 2013, the European Union Training Mission has trained more than 9,300 Malian soldiers. Germany’s engagement has thus substantially helped build the capabilities of the armed forces.

The remit of EUTM Mali remains unchanged:
• Provision of decentralised training and advisory services at important bases of the Malian armed forces with a special focus on officers ("Train the Trainer")
• Delivery of advisory services to Mali’s Ministry of Defence and to staff units of the Malian armed forces
• Support and promotion of cooperation among the armed forces of the G5 Sahel group to enhance their cross-border capabilities.

Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso and Chad founded the G5 Sahel group in February 2014.

Military and civilian assistance from Germany

The engagement of the German government within the framework of the EUTM Mali is part of a comprehensive approach. Alongside its involvement in the field of security, crisis prevention and stabilisation instruments are in use, as well as development cooperation interventions.

The German government is also supporting measures within the scope of the EU migration compact with Mali. Germany is actively involved in the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) and in the civilian EUCAP mission to develop the capabilities of the police force (EU Capacity Building Mission Sahel Mali). Over and above this, German humanitarian aid is providing assistance and support for internally displaced persons and Malian refugees in neighbouring countries, in particular in the form of food supplies and the provision of safe drinking water.

The legal basis for the mission is provided by the European Council Decision (CFSP) 2016/446 of 23 March 2016 in conjunction with the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2295 (2016) of 29 June 2016.

Making peace possible in Mali

All international activities aim to give Mali a peaceful future. Consolidating the country’s territorial integrity and state control over the entire territory will continue to be essential. All sections of Mali’s population are to participate in the political process, in the country’s economic and social development, and in Malian society.

One of the most urgent tasks is still to stabilise Mali. Efforts in this direction also take into account the migration policy goals of the German government.

The security situation in Mali impacts on the situation in the Sahel region as a whole, in Libya and in neighbouring countries in the region. Germany has a major interest in working with European and international partners to counter terrorism, crime and impoverishment in these countries. This can help address the factors that cause people to flee their homes in the first place.

Fostering long-term development

German-Malian development cooperation is also helping to improve the overall situation in Mali, with three priority areas: decentralisation and good governance, sustainable and productive agriculture, and water supply and sanitation.

Germany’s development cooperation is making a long-term contribution to development in Mali and thus complements the security- and foreign-policy engagement of the German government.

All these efforts aim to enable Malian authorities and security forces to ensure security throughout the country, to address the causes of conflicts and to generate genuine prospects that will encourage people to remain in the country and convince those who have already left to return home.