The Europeans are launching a new mission in Mali and another in the Central African Republic

(BRUSSELS2) EU foreign ministers have decided to officially launch a new mission in Mali on Monday (19 January), aimed at strengthening the capacity of the Malian internal security forces. And they have decided to launch one soon in the Central African Republic (EUMAM RCA)

Objective: to strengthen the Malian state and its security forces

Called EUCAP Sahel Mali, the mission deployed in Mali will be a civilian mission, with the main purpose of helping the Malian authorities to " restore and maintain the authority and legitimacy of the state throughout Mali ».

Four specific objectives are set out in the mandate: 1) improve operational efficiency, 2) restore the respective chains of command (of the internal security forces), 3) strengthen the role of administrative and judicial authorities in the direction and control of their missions, 4) facilitate the redeployment (of security and state forces) North " from the country. The mission will have a budget of 11,4 million euros (annual).

The last piece of the European mosaic in the Sahel

As the head of the mission, the German diplomat Albrecht Conze, confided to me during his recent visit to Brussels (*) " It's the last piece of the mosaic in Mali, as in the Sahel, alongside the capacity building mission in Niger (EUCAP Sahel Niger) and the Malian training mission (EUTM Mali). European mosaic which however suffers from a serious failure: in Libya.

Rebuilding the Central African Army

In the Central African Republic, the objective set for the advisory mission (EUMAM RCA) is quite similar in objective: to strengthen the rule of law. But this time, it is a question of helping to restructure and restore the FACA, the Central African armed forces, completely upset by the civil conflict which has ravaged the country in recent months.

(NGV)

Read also: Europe will train Malian police and gendarmes

(*) More details about the Club: The EUCAP Sahel Mali mission is being set up. Priorities and challenges