EUTM Mali | The EUTM MALI mission celebrates its 10th anniversary on Europe Day.
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16 May The EUTM MALI mission celebrates its 10th anniversary on Europe Day.

Posted at 16:59h in Press releases by

The ceremony took place in the presence of the Malian authorities, several ambassadors and European Union officials.

Europe Day commemorates the signing of the “Schuman Declaration” on 9 May 1950. This was an ambitious plan to secure lasting peace in post-war Europe and is considered the beginning of what is now the European Union. EUTM Mali was born in 2013 to develop and strengthen the capacities of the FMA (Forces Armées Maliennes), with the ultimate goal of an autonomous armed force capable of contributing to the defence of its population and territory. During these ten years, EUTM Mali has been the military pillar of the EU’s strategy in the country, celebrating today, together with Europe Day, its tenth anniversary. The EUTM Mali mission headquarters is celebrating with a flag raising and memorial service to pay fitting tribute to the soldiers who lost their lives in the service of the mandate during these ten years, Portuguese Staff Sergeant Gil BENIDO, and Spanish Corporal Antonio CARRERO.
The ceremony took place in the presence of Brigadier General Ousmane WELE, Deputy Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces. During the ceremony, Brigadier General Ortiz-Repiso, head of the EUTM MALI mission, stressed that the mission has worked closely with the Malian authorities and its international partners to strengthen security and stability in the region and has contributed to improving security in the Sahel region, working alongside the G5 Sahel joint force. On the other hand, he stressed that the challenges facing Mali are multiple, that the Malian armed forces are now more capable, better equipped and better trained to meet current and future security challenges, and that in the future, the EUTM Mali mission is determined to maintain its engagement in Mali and the Sahel region in order to continue working closely with the Malian authorities.
He concluded by saying that the European Union was proud of what had been achieved together over the past ten years and was determined to maintain its commitment to Mali and the Sahel region in the years to come.
The ceremony ended with a cocktail party at headquarters where guests and mission staff were able to exchange views on the 10 years of the mission in Mali.

Ambassadors, EU staff and Malian authorities at the event.

General Ousmane WELE and General Ortiz-Repiso at the ceremony to honor the fallen.