The head of the EU military committee said today he was "confident" in the ability of the first Mali battalion being trained by Europe to battle the Islamist insurgency raging in the north.
General Patrick de Rousiers told reporters in the capital Bamako he had encountered "professional and extremely competent personnel" after visiting the European Union Training Mission (EUTM) in Mali.
"I'm enthusiastic because (the trainers) are satisfied with the Malian troops," said de Rousiers, adding that he was "confident" because "the battalion was at an extremely high professional level".
The EU began a top-to-toe overhaul of Mali's weak, ragtag army in April to help the west African nation take over from foreign troops defending it against Islamist extremists.
Around 700 Malian troops have gathered in Koulikoro, 60 kilometres from Bamako, to train under European instructors as part of a wider effort to bring the army up to scratch as quickly as possible.
France, which sent 4,500 troops to its former colony in January to block an advance on the capital from the north by Al-Qaeda-linked fighters, is the lead country in the mission.
Paris is preparing to hand over to a UN-mandated African force in the coming weeks, placing a spotlight on Mali's poorly-paid, ill-equipped and badly-organised armed forces.
