„Meanwhile, French defence minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said European training of 3,000 Malian troops would begin next month [i.e. Januar 2013] in Mopti and Ségou, Mali. Four hundred mainly French troops were due to run „two or three“ six-week training courses, he said.

The European Training Mission will be headed by General François Lecointre, 50, a marine infantryman who has served in Djibouti, the Central African Republic, Rwanda, Gabon and Bosnia.“

The Guardian, 26.12.2012

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/dec/26/mali-military-mission-against-al-qaida