Illustrative stock photo (source: SME)
The mission of Slovakia’s soldiers in Mali will end on August 31. They will not be replaced by a new rotation as no one has requested the country to continue the mission, the SITA newswire reported.
Slovakia participated in the six-month European Union Training Mission Mali (EUTM MALI) based on the request of France. The call came after the terrorist attacks in Paris last November. Based on the request, Slovakia sent to Mali one logistician and one intelligence specialist.
The dispatch of Slovak soldiers was the country’s expression of solidarity with French partners as well as fulfilment of European and democratic values, said then-defence minister Martin Glváč, as reported by SITA.
Despite the signing of a peace treaty in mid-2015, the security situation in Mali is weak, which requires also international support. EUTM MALI was launched in 2013, based on a mandate of the UN Security Council. It focuses on supporting the state authorities, SITA wrote.
