The members of the European Union (EU) agreed today on the formation of a military mission that would train Malian forces to fight against Islamist rebels, agencies report citing diplomatic sources.
The ambassadors of the 27 EU member states agreed to establish a mission before the start of the extraordinary session of the Union's heads of diplomacy dedicated to Mali, which is being held today in Brussels.
The High Representative of the EU for Foreign Policy and Security, Catherine Ashton, said that the mission was supposed to start working at the beginning of March, but due to the dramatic situation, urgent action is necessary.
The EU training mission will include around 200 military trainers and security personnel, reports Reuters.
Ashton said that the mission was supposed to start working at the beginning of March, but due to the dramatic situation, urgent action is necessary
The situation in Mali became critical when Islamist rebels linked to Al Qaeda approached the capital, Bamako, and France launched a military intervention to stop their offensive.
The prevailing opinion in the EU and the USA is that the establishment of an Islamist government in Mali would pose a serious threat to world peace, due to the rebels' connection with terrorists and drug cartels.
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