the FAMa and the remainder of the security forces collapsed in 2012 during the fighting against Tuareg rebels and Islamic militants and have since been rebuilt with considerable external assistance, including the EU, France, and the UN; for example, the EU Training Mission in Mali (EUTM) from 2013-2022 trained as many as 15,000 Malian soldiers and eight combined arms battalions/battlegroups (Groupement Tactique InterArmes, GTIA), each of which was structured to be self-sufficient with its own motorized/mechanized infantry, light armor, commandos, artillery, engineers, and other support forces; the EUTM and the French military ended their missions in 2022 citing issues with the ruling military government, including human rights abuses and the presence of Russian private military contractors; the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) operated in the country from 2013-2023 with the mission of providing security, rebuilding Malian security forces, protecting civilians, supporting national political dialogue, and assisting in the reestablishment of Malian government authority; MINUSMA had more than 15,000 personnel at its peak strength and lost over 300 peacekeepers during the course of the mission, which was concluded at the end of 2023 after the ruling junta demanded the withdrawal of foreign forces
in addition to the EU-trained GTIAs, the Army has commandos and special forces, as well as motorcycle-mounted reconnaissance units; the Air Force has small numbers of combat aircraft, helicopters, and armed drones; the Gendarmerie and National Guard field company-sized paramilitary units, including camel-mounted forces in the National Guard; they also have special anti-terrorism and intervention forcesMilitary and security service personnel strengths | information varies; estimated 35-40,000 total active military and paramilitary personnel, including approximately 20-25,000 FAMa (up to 2,000 Air Force), 5-7,000 Gendarmerie, and 10,000 National Guard (2023) |
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Military equipment inventories and acquisitions | the FAMa's inventory consists primarily of Soviet-era equipment, although in recent years it has received limited quantities of newer armaments from more than a dozen countries, especially China and Russia (2023) |
Military service age and obligation | 18 years of age for men and women for selective compulsory and voluntary military service; 24-month compulsory service obligation (2023). |
Military deployments | note: until announcing its withdrawal in May of 2022, Mali was part of a five-nation anti-jihadist task force known as the G5 Sahel Group, set up in 2014 with Burkina Faso, Chad, Mauritania, and Niger; Mali had committed 1,100 troops and 200 gendarmes to the force. |
Military expenditures | |
Military Expenditures 2022 | 3.5% of GDP (2022 est.) |
Military Expenditures 2021 | 3.5% of GDP (2021 est.) |
Military Expenditures 2020 | 3.4% of GDP (2020 est.) |
Military Expenditures 2019 | 3.1% of GDP (2019 est.) |
Military Expenditures 2018 | 3.1% of GDP (2018 est.) |
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