The Irish Defence Forces have ceased training the Malian military following multiple reports of solders killing civilians in the west African country.
However, Irish troops will remain in the country providing training to the Malian police forces.
Following multiple reports of atrocities committed by Malian Armed Forces and members of the Wagner Group, a Russian mercenary organisation closely linked to the Kremlin, a decision was made to suspend elements of the European Union Training Mission (EUTM), which has its headquarters in the capital of Bamako.
About 20 members of the Defence Forces are deployed on the mission, along with troops from 25 other countries. The mission has been operating since 2013 and is focused on training the country’s military to combat Islamic extremist groups.
There have been reports of battalions trained by the EUTM engaging in atrocities in recent years. It is not known if troops trained by the Irish contingent are suspected of wrongdoing.
The decision to suspend training of Malian soldiers was made following a report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) last week alleging that troops, along with Russian mercenaries, massacred 300 civilians over a five-day period in the town of Moura in the Mopti region.
"Minister [for Defence Simon] Coveney is deeply concerned by the shocking reports of the alleged killing of large numbers of civilians in the central Mopti region of Mali during a military operation conducted by the Malian Armed Forces, reportedly alongside members of the Wagner Group," a spokeswoman for the Department of Defence said.
“Allegations of civilian casualties must be investigated urgently, in a transparent and impartial manner, and those responsible for human rights violations and abuses must be held accountable.”
A decision to suspend training was taken by the EU's Political and Security Committee (PSC) and endorsed by the EU Foreign Affairs Council on Monday.
The Department of Defence described it as a temporary suspension of the “operational training activities of EUTM Mali to the Malian Armed Forces and the Malian National Guard”.
Other elements of the mission, including education and advisory activities, would continue as would training of police forces, it said.
A review in the operation of the mission is expected to be published by the end of next month.
"In considering our deployment to EUTM Mali, Ireland will continue to operate in close co-ordination with our EU partners. While certain activities have been suspended, the training mission continues to support the Malian police and gendarmerie."
The Government recently renewed Ireland’s troop commitment to the EUTM for another year. The Department of Defence said this deployment is “subject to ongoing review, particularly in relation to the safety and security of Irish personnel”.
Minsuma mission
Ireland also contributes 14 troops, drawn mainly from the elite Army Ranger Wing, to the separate Minsuma mission run by the UN. They operate mainly in the north of the country where they carry out long-range counter-terrorism and reconnaissance patrols with German troops.
Ireland’s special forces contribution to that mission is due to end this September. The option of replacing them with conventional Irish troops was under consideration but it is not known if this will still happen.
The security situation in Mali has worsened significantly recently following the withdrawal of French troops at the request of the Malian government. The French army had formed the backbone of the EU and UN’s military assistance in the country. It was told to leave after carrying out operations which saw civilians killed and injured.
The Department of Defence has said it has been advised by the Defence Forces that there is no reason to withdraw Irish troops from either mission due to safety concerns but said the security assessment “is kept under ongoing review”.
