Spain supports the continuity of the EUTM Mission in Mali

The countdown is on for France and its European allies to announce the withdrawal of their troops in Mali. While Paris is preparing a future anti-terrorist operation to replace Operation Barkhane, Spain is advocating a review of its military mission in view of the "degradation" of the current conditions in the country. However, despite the growing insecurity in Mali, Spain continues to reaffirm its position and argues that it is "desirable" for this military operation to continue.

This statement issued by the Spanish Foreign Affairs Minister, José Manuel Albares, coincides with the first official visit to Madrid by his German counterpart, Annalena Baerbock. In this respect, both Germany and Spain have become the main contributors to the European military mission currently deployed in the country and, according to Albares, regardless of what France decides to approve, "any change, reduction or disappearance will have to be agreed at the European level". Moreover, he points out that in this scenario "Spain will make its voice heard" and affirms that the main reasons for which it was decided to deploy troops (jihadist threat, drug and human trafficking) continue to exist.

In addition to the current factors that make Mali an unstable country, conditions on the ground have worsened. The country has been the scene of two almost successive coups d'état in August 2020 and June 2021, an event that led to the temporary suspension of the two European missions in Mali.

On the other hand, democracy in the country, as in the rest of the Sahel, remains a pending task. In this regard, the military junta in Bamako has been postponing elections for five years and it does not look like they will be held in the short term. Furthermore, regardless of whether or not they are held, Mali continues to face serious problems that will not be solved by holding elections alone, according to various analysts. 

In addition, according to the Spanish minister, Mali is now facing new "actors that were not present before". This statement refers to the presence of Russia and its Wagner militiamen, an event that has changed the situation in the country and strengthens Russia's presence in the area, taking advantage of France's imminent withdrawal.

On the other hand, German minister Annalena Baerbock is more sceptical about the continuity of the European deployment and argues that the European Union must make a decision after "the profound changes" that the country has undergone. In this regard, of the 1,100 troops deployed in Mali, 530 are Spanish military personnel and 360 of the total number belong to the German armed forces.

The European Union mission deployed in the country continues to aim to improve the military capabilities of the Malian army in order to help them recover the country's territorial integrity.

Spain has been conducting major military operations on the ground since 2013. In this regard, Spain assumed command of the EUTM operation in 2021 under General Fernando Gracia, this being the third time that Spain has led the operation's movements. Among the main objectives is the training of the Malian army, as well as other training operations.

In fact, in the same year, Spain deployed the Army's NH90 helicopter unit to Bamako for the first time. This deployment was derived from one of the approved missions of the operation that defended the deployment of the EUTM to the other four G5 Sahel countries. This required an airlift unit to provide "freedom of movement" from one country to another. 

This event became a historic milestone as it was the first time that the Army Airmobile Forces (FAET) deployed this type of aircraft on a foreign mission. Following their deployment, the NH90s were able to bring greater autonomy to the operation and a self-defence capability. 

In addition, in the same year, the Aragon I Brigade sent a total of 400 military personnel to both Mali and Lebanon. Of these 400, 160 were sent to Mali with the mission of continuing to train the Malian army for six months, under the command of General Gracia. In addition, Spanish military personnel continue to assist in both military training and in advising the chains of command.

This Brigade is located at the "Koulikoro Training Camp" (KTC) base in the city of Koulikoro and has managed to extend to Sevaré, the central area of the country. In addition to the Aragonese Brigade, the remaining Spanish soldiers in Mali belong to the Spanish Cavalry Regiment Spain 11 and the Marine Infantry Brigade "Tercio de Armada".

With this military presence, Spain intends to continue reaffirming the commitment of the Spanish Armed Forces within the framework of the European Union in order to continue ensuring international and national security.