The EU extends its civil mission in Mali until 2025 and limits its actions to the south of the country

BRUSSELS, Jan. 10 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The European Union has decided on Tuesday to extend the mandate of its civilian mission in Mali, EUCAP, until January 2025, thus extending its validity for two more years and approving financing of 73 million euros.

As part of the decision to extend the mission, the Twenty-seven have decided to retouch the mandate “in view of the volatile situation” in the country, says a statement from the Council of the EU, so it will only coordinate the deployment of Malian police forces in the south of the country, the only area without the presence of jihadist groups.

In this way, the EU takes into account the delicate political and security situation in Mali, a country in which its military training operation for the Malian Army is frozen after the continuous clashes with Bamako, which culminated in the departure of French troops. that were fighting jihadist groups in the north and with the authorization of the Malian military junta for the Russian paramilitary entity Wagner Group to operate in the country.

Since then, the EU has faced a reduction of its forces in the country, leaving only around 300 troops, the majority Spanish, who only carry out advisory tasks to the Army and who have remained the main European contingent in Mali.