EUNPACK meets with the EU's Training Mission in Mali

On 20 November, members of our EUNPACK team visited the EU Training Mission’s (EUTM) headquarters in Bamako for a second time. Here we met with Brigadier General Peter Mirow, newly appointed Mission Force Commander for the EUTM, as well as political advisor Marlène Dupouy and the executive officer (XO) of the headquarters. While we in the first visit in 2017 gathered data, this time around we presented some of the key findings from the project. EUNPACK project leader Morten Bøås’ presentation on key findings and the headquarter’s XO update on EUTM Mali’s 4th mandate laid the basis for a fruitful exchange on lessons learnt and best practices. This 4th mandate extends EUTM until May 2020, doubles the budget, and mandates EUTM also to start with providing advice and training support to the Joint force of the G5 Sahel.

EUTM plays a key role in the EU’s efforts to restore state authority in Mali, and is one of several international missions working with the Malian security apparatus. It has therefore also been a focus of EUNPACK’s research on the EU’s crisis response in Mali. In Mali, EUNPACK research has examined three parts of the EU’s efforts which we consider at the core of its crisis response. Beyond EUTM which works with the Malian armed forced, we have looked at the EUCAP Sahel Mali which works with the Malian police as well as the EU’s various efforts on border management. Working papers and draft articles can be found under Publications here on the EUNPACK website.