A first training at the school of non-commissioned officers of Banankoro

(B2) A team of EUTM Mali instructors left for Banks train their Malian counterparts. A first that could be renewed soon

For the Malian army's European training mission (FAMA), the training of instructors directly on the Banankoro site, at the school for non-commissioned officers (ESO), was indeed a first. On the menu, for two weeks in December, varied instruction phases ranging from teaching methods to combat shooting training, through the care of combat victims, topography or the fight against machinery. improvised explosives (IED).

Training close to the Malian camps

With a balance sheet, positive in the end, believe the Europeans. " The interest and commitment of the trainees was evident » throughout the training. New training courses are already planned for next year (2021). Non-commissioned officers are the backbone of the army in general and it is necessary to focus on this topic in the future ”we tell EUTM Mali. And train Malians on the ground in Gao, Timbuktu, Sévaré and Banankoro in this central part of Mali. " This means that we adapt more to the needs and operational cycles of the Malian army and that we will train soldiers closer to the place of deployment. explains Brigadier General František Ridzák, head of the EUTM mission in a press release.

A necessity: protection

Moving around in central Mali itself has " it was not easy at all », Underlines one of the European soldiers. Between " weather conditions, road quality and the incredible conduct of the local drivers, the trip nearly three hundred kilometers from the Koulikoro base was anything but obvious. A (Czech) protection unit had also made the trip, responsible in particular for protecting the instructors so that they can concentrate on training their Malian colleagues, and to be able to react in the event of an emergency.

(NGV)