Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 12 May 2022
55. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Defence the number of members of the Defence Forces who have been on duty in Mali in each of the years since 2011; the role that they have played in the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22659/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraIrish Defence Forces personnel are currently deployed in two separate missions in Mali, the European Union Training Mission Mali (EUTM Mali) and the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission (MINUSMA).
EUTM Mali mission is an integral part of the EU’s comprehensive approach to the situation in Mali and Africa’s Sahel region. EUTM Mali complements other EU projects and activities carried out in the context of the EU Strategy for Security and Development in the Sahel.
EU Foreign Ministers recently approved the temporary suspension of the training activities of EUTM Mali to the Malian Armed Forces and the Malian National Guard. However, EUTM Mali continues to be involved in training activities for the Malian Police and the Malian Gendarmerie. An interim strategic review of EUTM Mali is expected before the end of May 2022.
With regard to EUTM Mali, Ireland has participated in this training mission since its launch in 2013. Ireland’s current contribution to the EUTM Mali mission stands at twenty (20) personnel. Defence Forces personnel are primarily deployed at Koulikoro, Bamako and GAO, but deploy as part of Combined Mobile Advisory Training Teams within Mali, they do not operate in other G5 Sahel countries.
Defence Forces personnel first deployed to MINUSMA in September 2019 as part of a joint deployment with German Armed Forces. Irish personnel continue to be deployed with the German Armed Forces at Camp Castor in GAO and at MINUSMA HQ in Bamako, where they carry out assigned tasks in accordance with the mission mandate. The Army Ranger Wing team carry out surveillance and intelligence gathering operations as part of their remit. Irish personnel in GAO are embedded with the larger German Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance Company and benefit from the security and force protection effort that is in place to protect the full Company.
The security situation is monitored by the Defence Forces on an ongoing basis.
The details of the numbers of personnel serving in Mali are listed in the tabular statement below.
|
Year |
Serving overseas as at 1 December (EUTM Mali) |
Serving overseas as at 1 December (MINUSMA) |
|
2013 |
8 |
N/A |
|
2014 |
10 |
N/A |
|
2015 |
9 |
N/A |
|
2016 |
18 |
N/A |
|
2017 |
20 |
N/A |
|
2018 |
20 |
N/A |
|
2019 |
20 |
13 |
|
2020 |
20 |
14 |
|
2021 |
20 |
14 |
|
2022 (as at 1 May 2022) |
20 |
14 |
