EU starts to train Malian armed forces

An EU spokesman announced that about 250 European instructors began on Tuesday to train Malian soldiers in Mali.

“The mission has kicked off this morning as foreseen. The idea is to train the Malian armed forces to help them defend their own country,” Michael Mann, spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, told journalists.

Some 22 EU countries are taking part in the mission that also includes a protection force for the trainers, he added. The training mission is expected to last 15 months.