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U.S. Africa Command military legal representatives and the Malian military conducted their first military-to-military engagement in five years, marking an important step in bilateral cooperation, Feb 19-21, 2025.
The event, held in Bamako, was opened with remarks by Colonel-Major Harouna Haïdara, Chief of Staff of the Malian Ministry of Defense, and Deputy Chief of Mission Wallace Bain from the U.S. Embassy Bamako. The discussions brought together U.S. and Malian military legal professionals to address key issues in military justice, operational law, and the law of armed conflict.
CDR Jared Hood, U.S. Africa Command’s Legal Engagement Division Chief, emphasized the value of the exchange: “Regardless of how robust other areas of our partnerships may or may not be, AFRICOM remains dedicated to engagements with any African nation in order to promote and advance adherence to the Law of Armed Conflict and the Rule of Law. This is especially true for discussions that reinforce justice, accountability, and military operations that adhere to recognized international and domestic laws. It is imperative to have operational commanders who care about the lawfulness of their actions.”
Topics covered military justice processes, investigations best practices, the integration of judge advocates into staff structures, and advising operational commanders. Discussions also encompassed a review of U.S. and Malian Armed Forces (FAMa) manuals and directives, the law of armed conflict, rules of engagement (ROE), and the protection of civilians.
Deputy Chief of Mission Bain commended the leadership of the Malian Directorate of Military Justice for “leaning forward to engage with the United States on topics that are not easy, but on which deep conversations can help improve practices, identify new ways forward, and alleviate misunderstandings if and when they occur.”
The U.S. delegation included CDR Jared Hood and Maj Benjamin Broadmeadow from AFRICOM Office of Legal Counsel, Lt Col Alden Gilroy, Defense Attaché, Dr. Evelyn Boettcher, Assistant Defense Attaché, MAJ Brennan Roorda, Army Attaché, and SFC Chris Wallace, Operations NCO with the Defense Attaché Office. Representing Mali were Col Boubacar Maiga, Director of the Directorate of Military Justice, Col Boubacar Mariko, Legal Advisor to the Minister of Defense, and approximately 20 Malian military legal advisors and magistrates.
Dr. Evelyn Boettcher, Assistant Defense Attaché, highlighted the collaborative spirit of the meeting: “Bringing together Malian and U.S. military legal experts fosters a vital dialogue on protecting civilians and ensuring compliance with international standards. It’s a meaningful step toward deeper partnership.”
The engagement underscores a renewed effort to enhance military cooperation between the two nations, focusing on transparency, professionalism, and the rule of law.
The U.S. Africa Command and Mali relationship could strengthen further through this engagement, paving the way for enhanced collaboration on security and legal frameworks.
U.S. Africa Command is one of seven U.S. Department of Defense geographic combatant commands. The command is responsible for all U.S. military operations, exercises, and security cooperation, and conducts crisis response on the African continent to advance U.S. interests and promote regional security.
For more information, visit our website, Facebook and Twitter pages, or contact U.S. Africa Command Media Relations at africom-pao-media@mail.mil.
| Date Taken: | 03.17.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 03.26.2025 06:22 |
| Story ID: | 493021 |
| Location: | ML |
| Web Views: | 164 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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