EU mission trains troops in Mali
French forces drawdown nears
BAMAKO, Mali, April 14, (AP): In preparation for a drawdown of French troops from Mali, a European Union team started training Malian soldiers for battle against jihadists who overran much of this West African country before they were pushed back by a French military intervention.
On a recent day, small groups of Malians stood in the burning heat and orange sands in the town of Koulikoro, 60 kms (37 miles) west of the capital Bamako, learning to hold weapons. They began the training last week, and this week they learned how to shoot from standing, sitting and prone positions.
About 550 people form the team meant to ready Mali’s army for combat. But there is worry that the project to train thousands of soldiers may not be sufficient to keep the armed Islamic militants at bay.
French forces entered Mali swiftly and strongly in January after Islamic militants began a formidable push south toward the country’s capital. The militants, who are inspired by a radical interpretation of Islam, ruled the northern half of Mali for nearly 10 months before the French-led military operation forced them into the desert surrounding the main cities. The extremists have responded with a series of attacks, including suicide bombings.
French military spokesman Col. Thierry Burkhard said this week that about 100 French troops have been pulled out of Mali and were as of this week in Cyprus on their way back to France. Last month, French President Francois Hollande said that by July, about 2,000 French soldiers will still be in the former French colony, down from 4,000 at the peak deployment, and at the end of the year “1,000 French soldiers will remain.” He said the French troops would likely be part of a UN peacekeeping operation that France is pushing for.
The French-led operation with backing from regional bloc ECOWAS and under authorization of the UN Security Council has largely been hailed a success so far, though there are some concerns the militants will simply regroup once the French start drawing down.
Mali’s military chain of command was broken after a coup last year. Soldiers lack respect for their commanders and superiors. There are reports that soldiers, humiliated by their defeat last year at the hands of the Islamic extremists, have carried out reprisals against the Arab and Tuareg civilians left behind.