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13 armored vehicles for the two Malian G5 Sahel battalions

(B2) The European Union handed over to the Malian forces this Friday (January 17) 13 Bastion-type all-terrain armored vehicles

(credit: EU Delegation of Mali / EEAS)

The delivery of these vehicles formerly manufactured by Acmat, taken over today by the Arquus group, took place on the place d'armes of the Kati military camp in Mali.

These vehicles are intended to equip the two Malian battalions of the G5 Sahel Joint Force: eight are intended for the transport of troops, two for the fight against IED, two for medical evacuations and the last is fitted out as a command post.

This delivery is part of a batch of 46 armored vehicles already delivered or about to be delivered by the European Union to the Joint Force in the five G5 Sahel countries, as part of the EU support project to the G5 Sahel Joint Force. It is funded through the African Peace Facility, under a contract managed by Expertise France. The Burkinabè battalion of the G5 Sahel had received four of these vehicles at the end of November, plus two other vehicles.

NB: the European Union has undertaken to support it since the creation of the G5 Sahel Joint Force. Together (EU + Member States), an initial envelope of 155 million euros has been made available for various equipment. " Nearly 70% is now completed or delivered we assure the EU Delegation for Mali. A second envelope of 138 million euros was promised in the summer of 2019, and confirmed by the current High Representative Josep Borrell, during the Pau summit of the G5 Sahel (read: our Interview with Josep Borrell).

(NGV)

Nicolas Gros Verheyde

Chief editor of the B2 site. Graduated in European law from the University of Paris I Pantheon Sorbonne and listener to the 65th session of the IHEDN (Institut des Hautes Etudes de la Défense Nationale. Journalist since 1989, founded B2 - Bruxelles2 in 2008. EU/NATO correspondent in Brussels for Sud-Ouest (previously West-France and France-Soir).

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