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Belgium to double number of its soldiers in Mali

Xinhua, June 21, 2016 Adjust font size:

Belgium will double the number of its soldiers in Mali to 175, the country's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Development Cooperation Alexander de Croo announced Monday in Bamako during a meeting with Mali President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.

The minister is in Mali under the auspices of a Joint Cooperation Commission between the two countries.

A statement from Mali presidency said the Belgian cooperation program for 2016-2019 will increase the country's support to Mali to 31 million euros. The money will go towards supporting the implementation of the Mali peace and reconciliation agreement.

Part of the money will also go towards supporting security initiatives, decentralization, rights of women as well as activities of the UN Peacekeeping mission in Mali.

Early in the year, Belgium agreed to significantly reinforce its contingent within the Training Mission of Malian Forces that was launched in 2013 by the European Union, the statement said.

At the start of French Serval operation in January 2013, Belgium offered two helicopters to support French troops in Mali's northern region of Sevare. This support was however stopped due to budgetary constraints. Endit