Military briefing Government on Mali security situation where 34 Irish troops are based

The Defence Forces said 20 personnel served in the EU mission in Bamako and Koulikoro in the south of the country, and 14 in the UN mission in Bamako and Gao, which is in the north. File photo

Military intelligence staff are understood to be briefing senior officials in the Department of Defence on the security situation in Mali, where 34 Irish troops are part of UN and EU missions.

Any decision to leave the volatile west African state would be made by the Irish Government, though it is one that would be informed by security briefings.

The Defence Forces are involved in two multinational peace support operations in Mali: the EU Training Mission EUTM MALI, with 20 troops, and the UN Peacekeeping Mission MINUSMA, with 14 personnel.

On Thursday, the French Government confirmed it was pulling out its troops from Mali under its primary military mission, Operation Barkhane, and Task Force Takuba, which it leads with other European countries.

These operations have been at the frontline in fighting jihadist militants, mainly in the north of the sprawling Sahel country. Relations have worsened between France and the Mali military junta ruling the country, which has postponed elections until 2025.

There were separate reports this week that the German government may also pull out if the elections are delayed by a lengthy period. The Bundeswehr is part of an EU training mission and MINUSMA, with about 1,300 troops deployed there.

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The Defence Forces said: “Any decision to withdraw soldiers from either mission was solely a matter for Government.” 

In a statement, it said 20 personnel served in the EU mission in Bamako (the capital) and Koulikoro (training camp), both in the south of the country, and 14 in the UN mission, in Bamako and Gao, which is in the north.

The statement said the Army Ranger Wing currently contributed a field human intelligence team to MINUSMA as part of the German Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance Task Force.

“The ARW first deployed to MINUSMA in September 2019 for a period of two years,” it said. "This was subsequently extended by one year, after which their contribution to the mission will end [in September 2022]."

Last June, the ARW escaped a bomb attack on an overnight ISR camp north of Gao, which left 14 German and one Belgian soldier injured. The ranger unit was out on an operation, away from the camp, at the time.