On Monday, March 18 the Hungarian Defence Forces Joint Force Command (HDF JFC) held a farewell ceremony in Székesfehérvár for the Hungarian soldiers to deploy with the European Union Training Mission–Mali (EUTM–Mali) in the Western African country.

One officer has been serving in Mali since February 27 as a liaison between the international headquarters and the participants of the operation. Three other soldiers from the staff of the HDF Medical Centre left Hungary on Tuesday. They will perform special health care duties in a German-led field hospital. Another six soldiers will follow them on April 13 – they will train the snipers of the military of Mali in cooperation with Portuguese mentors.

As László Domján pointed out, the soldiers to be sent to the mission by Hungary are experienced ones who had already served in Kosovo and Afghanistan as mentors of the local security forces. The Hungarians will be out of harm’s way since they will serve in the southern part of the country, while the combat actions are taking place in the northern part of Mali.

Gen. Domján noted that the Hungarian troops had earlier been present in Mozambique, Somalia and Uganda as well. Currently Hungarian personnel are serving as members of a military police contingent (MFO) on the Egyptian–Israeli border in the Sinai Peninsula. They are also present as military observers in the UN mission in the Western Sahara (MINURSO), as advisors in the EU-led operations in Congo (EUSEC RD Congo) and as members of an EU mentor team working for the capability development of the Somali armed forces.

Acting on a request from the President of Mali, on January 11 France launched a military operation in the Western African country to halt the advance of Islamist militias in control of the northern part of Mali. The UN Security Council unanimously supported the military action.  

The government decision authorizing the Hungarian troop contribution to the European Union Training Mission–Mali was published on March 8. Based on this government decision, the Hungarian Defence Forces contribute at most 15 service members (at most 30 in rotational periods) to the mission. Hungary’s role lasts until the date set in the mandate of the operation, but no longer than May 18, 2014.  In the interest of the Hungarian military role in the EUTM Mali mission, the government has ordered a one-off reallocation of HUF 555 million.

(MTI – Hungarian News Agency)