First EUTM Mali joint training for G5 Sahel officers
(BRUSSELS2) For the first time, the European training mission in Mali (EUTM Mali) organized training for around twenty officers from the five Sahelian countries (Mali, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad) making the Koulikoro camp the strategic center of military interoperability of the G5 Sahel.
Strengthen G5 interoperability
The two-week training aimed to " strengthen the coordination and interoperability of the armed forces of the G5 Sahel countries, we explain to EUTM Mali. The first week, the theory took precedence. The second week was devoted to practical exercises, simulating real situations in which the officers of the five countries had to coordinate for a joint operation. They worked in small groups, mixing the five nationalities. Each group should then present its findings to the other groups and to the mission commander. The primary issue is to establish a bond of trust between the officers but also, in the long term, to establish a joint procedure.
... and its ability to collaborate with international actors
In addition to cooperation between the armies of the five countries, the training aimed to promote cooperation with the international partners present in the region by introducing the political and legal aspects of the operations, the security context of the region, knowledge of the international actors involved in the field. A training whose importance is up to the lack of knowledge of the field. Officers from Chad, for example, discovered the existence of EUTM Mali during the course. Representatives of Operation Barkhane, the UN mission MINUSMA and the European civilian capacity building missions EUCAP Sahel Niger and EUCAP Sahel Mali, also participated in the training, giving several courses explaining their respective roles and areas of intervention. .
The realization of the strong political will of the G5
For General Eric Harvent, who commands EUTM Mali, it is " a strong signal " politically. " This shows the strong desire for cooperation, and the ability to transcribe it into a daily gesture. ". At the origin of the initiative, General Dacko, Chief of Staff of the Malian Armed Forces (FAMA), stressed that terrorism knew no borders. A “Transnational response to this threat is needed. Reinforced interoperability of the different armies perfectly and effectively counters this security challenge.”.
Visit of the Special Envoy for the Sahel
Ángel Losada Fernández, the European Union Special Representative (EUSR) for the Sahel, took advantage of this opportunity to visit the European mission. " These courses reflect the European will to support the regionalization process. Losada, in office since January 2016, is particularly in favor of the regionalization process surrounding the creation of the G5 Sahel. It is " an evolution of the greatest importance ", with some " security implications that cannot be ignored “, he explained at the beginning of June to the European Parliament (Read: In Mali, the terrorists, still present, move south (Losada)
(Leonor Hubaut)
See the video presentation of the training here