The twenty-seven will continue the consulting and education activities but will no longer cause soldiers, while remaining in Mali.
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It was months that the European Union (EU) was trying to find a solution to maintain some presence in Mali, despite the decision of the national authorities to appeal to the Russian Wagner paramilitary group, arrived in the country at the end of December.
The twenty-seven finally decided to suspend European military and Malian national training missions, while pursuing consulting and education activities. “We stop” to train soldiers, “but we remain” in Mali, summarized Monday, April 11 Josep Borrell, head of the European diplomacy, on the occasion of a Council of Foreign Ministers of the Union.
Constantious in Luxembourg, they took note of this decision adopted last week by the ambassadors of the twenty-seven to the EU. A consensus that had trouble disencing. Some countries, mainly France, wanted to interrupt the two missions, for Eutm Mali, to rebuild the Malian Armed Forces and, for Eucap Sahel Mali, to strengthen the internal security forces.
Others, like Italy, Germany, Spain, Belgium or the Czech Republic, wanted to stay or preserve at least activities in the country, so as not to leave the free field to Russia . An issue that has become crucial when Moscow braves global geopolitical equilibria with the war launched in Ukraine.
Since April 2, the Malian soldiers and the mercenaries of Wagner are accused of perpetrating a massacre in Moura, in the center of the country. According to Human Rights Watch, nearly 300 civilians, of which some suspected of being jihadists, were executed between the 27th and 31st of March.
Multiplication of abuses
In this context, the training of Malian forces has become inconceivable for Europe. Some of these activities were de facto suspended from March by the missions commanders, pending a political decision of the Union. “It was necessary to quickly avoid any risk” to see soldiers formed by Europeans to commit “human rights violations”, explains a diplomat.
The EU had asked the Malian authorities to undertake to avoid any cooperation between Wagner and the troops supervised by the European missions. In his response, the junta in power in Bamako pleaded for them to be maintained, a sign perceived as positive in Brussels. But the guarantees offered were judged “insufficient”. Europe will continue to teach Malian soldiers “the laws of war”. “Military must know that the war has laws and rules of the game,” said Josep Borrell Monday
Europeans insist that this suspension of training activities is “temporary” and “reversible”. But “the observation on the evolution of the situation is quite pessimistic,” entrusts a diplomat, given the multiplication of the abuses and the refusal of the Malian junta to organize the return to the polls.
The questions hangs even on the United Nations mission in Mali, MINUSMA, whose investigation in Moura is blocked by Bamako. “Will we let her go on the ground check what happened? Or will the Minusma stay locked in his barracks? If that’s why it’s not worth it. Staying, “said Borrell. The German Foreign Minister Annalya Baerbock will move in Mali this week to take stock, while Berlin plans to withdraw his soldiers from the country.
In any case, the EU wants to remain present in the Sahel, still in the prey to jihadist threats, and deploy more in neighboring countries. “But Burkina Faso has just undergone a coup and Niger does not overflow from enthusiasm to the idea of a reinforced foreign presence,” says a diplomat. For their part, Europeans must redefine their strategy with respect to this key region, in the context of the withdrawal of the French force “Barkhane” and the Task Force European “Takuba”, lived as a failure.