Spanish and foreign military personnel return from Mali after temporary cessation of activities due to COVID-19

·       59 Spanish military personnel and 20 from other countries will arrive in Spain this Friday. In total, a hundred soldiers have returned this week from Mali

Military personnel of the Army and Navy deployed in the European Union Training Mission in Mali (EUTM Mali) return to Spain after the temporary cessation of training activities as a preventive measure against the transmission of COVID-19.

59 military personnel will leave Mali and travel to Spain on a flight managed by the Ministry of Defence. Along with them, three Spanish civilians will also return (two workers of the Spanish Embassy in that country and a member of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali, MINUSMA). Military personnel of other nationalities will also travel on the same flight: a Georgian military man, 8 Irish, 7 Portuguese and 4 Italians.

This support for the transfer of military personnel from other countries is an example of Spain's cooperation and commitment to our allies, with whom we work in operations in the area and in different international organisations.

This is the second transfer to national territory of Spanish military personnel from Mali carried out this week after the cessation of activities in EUTM Mali. On Wednesday, 37 more returned to Spain as part of the temporary withdrawal of troops due to the pandemic and in response to the reduction plan of this EU Mission.

The return of these troops is a temporary measure taken by EUTM Mali, which continues to operate effectively. In fact, the rest of the Spanish contingent continues working in the area of operations.