Defense Minister says Portugal has made a relevant contribution to peace in Mali – Observer
The Minister of Defense said this Thursday that Portugal has been making “a major contribution to the construction of peace in Mali and on the African continent, in welcoming the national force deployed in that country in 2021.
“This mission represents a contribution of the largest company to the construction of peace in that country and in this region of the Sahel and, in this way, to the maintenance of peace throughout the African continent”, said João Gomes Cravinho, who was speaking to the military of the Force Air that comprised the Portuguese troops deployed in Mali, from May 10 to November 16 of this year, in a ceremony held at Base Aérea do Montijo, in the district of Setúbal.
The National Force Deployed in the United Nations Integrated Multidimensional Mission for the Stabilization of Mali (MINUSMA) in 2021 it integrated a total of 65 soldiers and one aircraft from the Portuguese Air Force.
For the minister of National Defence, participation has been important to help families in Mali who are experiencing a “dramatic” situation, but also to protect the security of the European Union.
Malian citizens not only face poverty and poor governance, but they are also at risk of their lives due to terrorist attacks that do not choose targets: attacking both civilians and security commandos, and also targeting peacekeeping boundaries that , unfortunately, they have also suffered several casualties in recent years”, he said.
“The instability and violence that has gripped Mali not only represent an unavoidable challenge to African security, but also to European security. This is a region of the greatest importance for the security of Europe, especially for our southern flank, in an advanced defense against terrorism that does not exist borders”, he added.
João Gomes Cravinho defended, therefore, that at a time of great difficulties aggravated by the pandemic, Portugal “cannot abandon countries in locations close to the point of view of violence” that also affect it.