A photograph made by the French Army Communications Audiovisual office (ECPAD) shows a French soldier riding atop an armored personnel carreir waves to local civilians as French forces take part in operation Serval to assist Malian troops to push back an islamist rebel advance, Near the town of Markala, North of Bamako, Mali, 17 January 2013. France has increased its military presence in Mali to 1,400 ground troops to fight rebels in the North of Mali. EPA/ARNAUD ROINE / ECPAD
The EU is to send from 300 to 400 troops to Mali in a training capacity and “several Poles could be among them,” Minister Tomasz Siemoniak told Polish Radio, Friday morning, emphasising, however, that these troops would not have a combat role.
"That's not an option," he said.
He said speed was of the essence as the EU did not want the situation in Mali to become another Yemen or Afghanistan, where Islamist extremists were allowed to plan attacks on the West.
EU foreign ministers released a statement on Thursday during an extraordinary meeting in Brussels, saying: “The Council hereby decides to establish the European Union Training Mission (EUTM Mali), which will be responsible for providing the Malian Armed Forces with military training and advice [...] in response to the direct request by the Malian authorities to the EU.”
A group of EU military experts are flying to Mali on Friday to assess the situation in the west African country, where French troops have been involved in close combat with insurgents since beginning military operations a week ago.
Poland's deputy foreign minister, Boguslaw Winid, who was in Brussels for the meeting on Thursday, said in a statement released by the Foreign Ministry that Poland is in favour of active international cooperation to restore stability in Mali.
“It is necessary to continue talks with the Malian authorities on a time table and rules to restore constitutional order in the country,” he says.
The conflict escalated on Thursday as French troops surrounded the town of Diabaly, trapping rebels who had seized it three days ago.
"Our enemies were well-armed, well-equipped, well-trained and determined," a senior French diplomat told Reuters.
"The first surprise was that some of them are holding the ground," he said, adding that others had fled during six days of French air strikes aimed at halting the militants' offensive and preventing the fall of Mali's capital, Bamako. (pg)
CORRECTION – Poland's ministry of defence contacted thenews.pl on Friday morning saying that the original report, which claimed that Poland would be sending troops to Mali in a training capacity was incorrect and that the matter was still under consideration.
Polish Radio did report, however, on Thursday, that unofficial sources in Brussels had said off the record that Poland would be taking part in the mission.