EU to Speed Up Mali Mission at Crisis Talks
European Union foreign ministers are set to speed up the dispatch of an EU mission to train Mali's army and discuss how best to back up an African intervention force at extraordinary talks Thursday, diplomats said.
"The aim is to accelerate the process to adapt to the new situation created by France's intervention," said an EU diplomat speaking on condition of anonymity when asked for comment on the agenda of the meeting convened by EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.
There was no official EU confirmation of the date of the crisis talks suddenly called Monday by Ashton, but several diplomats and officials said it would take place around midday in Brussels.
Ashton is expected to ask the ministers to give their official green light to the dispatch to Mali of an up to 500-strong EU military training mission, now expected to launch mid-February, which is earlier than previously expected, the sources added.
Its commander, French General Francois Lecointre, may also be officially named Thursday, enabling his departure for Bamako within the next days.
EU leaders in December approved a plan to send some 200-250 military trainers for the Malian army, backed by a protection force and other personnel, bringing the total of EU soldiers to be sent to the West African nation to 400-500.
Some eight to 10 EU nations have agreed to take part in a mission expected to be given a 15-month mandate at a cost of 12 million euros, excluding staff costs which would be met by participating nations.
Planned over several months, the training mission was originally scheduled to begin work later this year to train and restructure Mali's army to help it rout Islamists entrenched in the West African nation's vast arid northern stretches.
France's intervention last week after Islamist guerrillas moved south towards the capital has triggered planning changes though diplomats stressed the trainers would, as previously said, "continue to have no combat role."
"But we will now have to train an army that is busy fighting on the ground," said one EU official.
The foreign ministers will also discuss financial and logistical support for an African-led international support mission in Mali -- AFISMA -- approved by the United Nations which is set to deploy in the next days.
The 3,300-strong force will be made up of troops from Nigeria, Benin, Ghana, Niger, Senegal, Burkina Faso and Togo.
"Different countries have different needs," said a diplomat. "Some need means of transport while others need funds."
Source: Agence France Presse
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