LAST UPDATE | 21 Mar 2023

IRELAND HAS RENEWED its deployment of troops to the European Union mission in war torn Mali.

Mali, along with Burkina Faso and Niger in the Sahel Region of Africa, is scene to a major Islamist insurgency in recent years. 

Ireland had 34 troops in Mali involved in two missions – an EU training mission dubbed EUTM Mali and Minusma a UN peace-keeping mission. 

The EUTM mission has 20 Irish personnel involved in training local Malian troops, who then go on to fight in battles in the north of the country.

The Minusma mission ended last year as members of the Army Ranger Wing, who were embedded in a German operation, were withdrawn.

Today the Government approved the Defence Forces’ continued participation in the EUTM Mali mission for a further twelve months.

A spokesperson for the Department of Defence said that “mission requirements” meant that the size of the force was “being substantially reduced”. 

“In line with this new configuration for the mission, Ireland is reducing its contribution to eight personnel.  Previously, there were 20 members of the Defence Forces deployed in the mission, before this number subsequently reduced to 14.

“The Defence Forces have been participating in EUTM since 2013, when eight members were first deployed to the mission. The number of personnel deployed increased up to 18 in 2016 and to 20 personnel during the period 2017 to 2022. 

All of the Irish personnel will be based at the mission headquarters in Bamako.

Local authorities have been engaged in a diplomatic spat with EU partners as Russian forces are also active in the region, sources have said. 

French troops have substantially withdrawn with other countries such as Germany reducing their participation. 

A review of the mission is underway and that is anticipated that this review will be completed by April 2023. 

“While the outcome of this review is awaited, it is likely to lead to further reductions of personnel requirements in EUTM Mali,” a spokesperson said.