Brigadier General Bruno Guibert has been appointed to the leadership of the European Union training mission in Mali by the EU’s Political and Security Committee. He will take over from Brigadier General François Lecointre on 1st August.
Brigadier General Lecointre has been leading the mission since its establishment in January 2013 during a period which saw Malian forces face off secessionist forces in Mali’s North. An initial ceasefire agreement is now in place to make way for new presidential elections on 28th July 2013.
The EU training mission supports the training and reorganisation of the Malian Armed Forces. It is intended to help improve the military capacity of the Malian Armed Forces. A training base has been established at Koulikoro, where 426 soldiers from 19 nationalities of the European Union are training Malian troops.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) began providing military assistance on 1 July 2013 following the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2100 (2013) on 25 April 2013. This replaced the African-led International Support Mission in Mali (AFISMA).
Brigadier General Bruno Guibert currently commands France’s 1st Mechanized Brigade. He has extensive experience in Africa, having served in Djibouti, Chad, Rwanda, Côte d’Ivoire and in the Central African Republic. Brigadier General Bruno Guibert is Officer of the Legion of Honour and he holds the Cross of Military Valour with 2 bronze stars.
The mandate for the EU training mission in Mali currently runs until May 2014.
