The Minister for Defence takes the pulse of the situation in Mali and of the Spanish troops who "support the weight of the European mission"

The Minister for Defence, Margarita Robles, held a video conference with Brigadier General Santiago Juan Fernández Ortiz-Repiso, head of the Spanish troops stationed in Mali as part of the EUTM Mali training operation. In fact, Spain currently contributes 80% of the troops to this EU mission.

The minister, accompanied by the Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral General Teodoro López Calderón, took an interest in the situation in the north of the country which, in the words of the head of Spanish troops, remains calm despite the risk, "which is never zero". "Our mitigation measures to reduce risks are extremely demanding," added Fernández Ortiz-Repiso.

The information reaching the base, the general explained, allows us to conclude that the joint work with the Malian army is bearing fruit and, although with effort, a certain stability is being achieved, and he stressed that right now "the only presence of the West is the EU training mission".

Robles stressed "the confidence that the Malians have in the Spanish Armed Forces. The fact that Spain is there means that at the moment Mali, compared to Burkina Faso or Niger, is a relatively calm country, especially in terms of the Sahel". "The European Union is well aware that the Sahel cannot be left behind," she said.

The presence of other countries, especially Russia and China, in the region is another of the issues raised by the Minister for Defence, who also expressed her interest in knowing the state of relations with the region after the end of the EUMPM mission in Niger.

Regarding the first issue, Fernández Ortiz-Repiso acknowledged the difficulty of obtaining more direct information, although it is true that the information provided by Malian sources suggests that collaboration with Russia, as well as with other countries, is also being strengthened in the trade and educational spheres, for example.

Involved with the Sahel

Regarding the EU withdrawal in Niger, the commanding brigadier general confirmed that the weapons are at their disposal and that the Malian authorities have reiterated their request to maintain the Spanish presence: "Our main mission is to remain to bear witness that Spain and the EU want to remain involved not only in Mali, but in the Sahel, and that we are ready to resume aid and training, which is what the Malian forces are asking us to do".

In this regard, Margarita Robles stressed that "the security of our contingent is paramount and I think it is important to underline the confidence that the Malians have in the Spanish Armed Forces. The fact that Spain is there means that at the moment Mali, compared to Burkina Faso or Niger, is a relatively calm country, especially in terms of the Sahel".

There are currently 135 military personnel deployed in Mali, along with 20 civilian health care providers. The capital, Bamako, is a city that Fernández Ortiz Repiso describes as "vibrant, full of young people. It's nice to get to know their culture and their people, which is something we Spaniards do particularly well".

The EU Military Mission in Mali (EUTM-Mali) was launched in 2013 in response to the Malian authorities' request for international support to curb the Tuareg rebel movement to impose Sharia law in the north of the country. Eight European countries are currently participating: Portugal, Romania, Austria, Finland, Hungary, Belgium and Lithuania with a total of 160 personnel, 135 of whom are Spanish.

Situation in Lebanon

After the videoconference and in response to the media, the JEMAD referred to the incident that occurred yesterday in the Spanish mission in Lebanon, when an artillery shell hit a railing of a tower of an advanced position and did not cause any personal injuries, which he described as "a small fright".

López Calderón recalled his recent visit to the Spanish contingent, currently made up of the XI Extremadura Brigade, which took command at the end of November: "I have seen them in high spirits, very aware of the importance of their role at this moment, so that there is no escalation of the conflict (between Israel and Hezbollah)," he explained.

Non official translation