EUTM Mali: New EU Mission Force Commander appointed

Today, Brigadier General František Ridzák was appointed as new EU mission force commander for the European Union military mission, which contributes to the training of the Malian Armed Forces (EUTM Mali). His mandate will start on 12 June 2020.

Brigadier General Ridzák, a Czech national, will succeed Brigadier General João Pedro Rato Boga de Oliveira Ribeiro. He is currently director of the Communication and Information Systems agency of the Czech Armed Forces and previously held senior positions within the Czech army.

The decision on Brigadier General Ridzák’s appointment was adopted by the Council’s Political and Security Committee.

EUTM Mali is part of the EU’s integrated approach to security and development in the Sahel. The mission was established in 2013, at the request of the Malian Government, to help strengthen the capabilities of the Malian Armed Forces, in order to enable, under legitimate civilian authority, the restoration of the country’s territorial integrity. To this effect, EUTM Mali contributes to improving the operational capacity of the Malian Armed Forces through the provision of military advice, training, education and mentoring and additionally supports the operationalisation of the G5 Sahel Joint Force. With the new fifth mandate, this support will be extended also to some specific needs of the armies of the G5 Sahel countries. The tasks carried out by the mission are agreed with Mali’s legitimate authorities and do not include combat operations.

The headquarters of the mission are located in Bamako, Mali.