EU military mission in Mali
Into the desert on shaky foundations
Commenting on the arrest and forced resignation of Malian prime minister Diarra and yesterday's approval of the EU crisis management mission to Mali by EU foreign ministers, Green foreign affairs spokesperson Franziska Brantner stated:
"The forced resignation of Mali's prime minister reveals how critical the political situation in Mali continues to be. The resulting power vacuum and the role of the military challenge the underlying foundations of the EU military training mission to which EU foreign ministers gave the go-ahead yesterday.
"Military coups should not be rewarded. Resolving this crisis means finding a political solution for the South and North of the country. Without a more stable government in the South, and without a formal negotiation process with the North, the EU mission must not be deployed.
"It was and remains a failure not to have linked the mission with the political process. Human rights and rule of law training need to become a central part of the training otherwise the EU is heading into the desert on shaky foundations."
