The British Army has arrived in Mali: Here’s what you need to know about the deployment
A three-hundred strong task group of British soldiers has arrived in Mali as part of the UN Peacekeeping Mission there, known as MINUSMA, as the UK Government supports security stability in the region
The United Nations is at the forefront of helping to build peace and stability in some of the world’s most dangerous places and to function effectively, the UN needs strong contributions from its members. The deployment of a highly capable and versatile British Army Task Group to Mali strengthens the UN mission’s ability to help the people of Mali and implement its mandate.
Lieutenant Colonel Tom Robinson, Commanding Officer of the Light Dragoons’ Task Group:
“The 300-strong Light Dragoon task group is joining over 14,000 peacekeepers from 59 Nations as part of this challenging UN mission in Mali to help protect the people from violence and support political dialogue. We bring years of experience on operations, first class equipment and exceptional people.
“We’ve trained hard for the last year to make sure that we are ready for this challenging mission. We’re proud to be the first British soldiers to join in this team effort to help combat instability in the Sahel.”
Now that the UK Task Group has arrived, here’s what you need to know: 👇
The story so far:
Following the end of the UK’s deployment to the UN peacekeeping operation in South Sudan, the National Security Council agreed to deploy a UK Task Group to support the UN mission in Mali. The deployment demonstrates a significant commitment to UN peacekeeping operations.
The Light Dragoons and the Royal Anglians form the basis of the task group comprising soldiers from a variety of regiments with a wide array of skills, from bomb disposal experts to drone operators and a state-of-the-art field surgical team.
Their pre-deployment training started in December 2019 and concluded with their Mission Rehearsal Exercise in October 2020. The journey so far has shown that the Army is capable of combining the use of modern technologies anywhere in the world with those stationed back in the UK to deliver effect where it is needed most.
What will they be doing?
UN peacekeeping operations support local political efforts to build sustainable long-term peace in the countries where they are deployed. Peacekeepers protect civilian populations, support political dialogue and reconciliation, prevent and reduce conflict, as well as promote and protect human rights.
Combat is not the objective of the deployment. The Long Range Reconnaissance Group will perform a crucial role within the UN mission, conducting reconnaissance and patrol tasks, launched from the UN camp in Gao, to gather intelligence and engage with the local Malian people. Information gathered will help improve the UN Mission Commander’s understanding of the situation on the ground and enable the mission to respond to threats to the people of Mali more effectively. This is not a combat operation, nor is it a counter-terrorism operation.
- British troops are soon deploying to Mali, meet their commanding officer
- Meet the specialist cultural advisor deploying to Mali
The task group has received high-quality training on MINUSMA’s role in the prevention of gender-based violence and the protection of the rights of all people in conflict, regardless of gender. The UK has also deployed an experienced specialist cultural advisor to ensure the Task Group’s contribution is the most valuable it can be
They will work with international partners to build stronger communities, help tackle extremism and ensure the protection of civilians is prioritised.
Why are they going?
The Sahel is one of Africa’s poorest and most fragile regions. Marked by chronic poverty, instability and high levels of gender inequality, it is very vulnerable to violence and conflict from extremist and criminal organisations.
Mali is at the forefront of countries in Africa affected by instability. With terrorist violence and conflict between communities sharply on the rise, it is costing civilians their lives and preventing the development of one of the poorest countries in the world.
The UN mission has been operating in Mali for seven years, working towards a peaceful and prosperous future. The capability the British Army brings will both enhance the mission and strengthen our international military alliances and partnerships.
It is in all of our interests to work together to protect civilians and help build a safer, healthier and more prosperous future for the people of the region.
By helping to stabilise fragile states and tackle the root cause of conflict we help to secure people’s basic rights, as well as preventing conflicts growing beyond boundaries and causing instability in other countries.
Alongside this deployment, the MOD currently has three Chinook helicopters and 100 personnel in a logistics role supporting the French-led Counter-Terrorist mission, Operation BARKHANE. This is entirely separate from the UN mission, but they will be operating in the same region.
