Training in mediation for more stability in Mali

Belgium funds 2 training courses on mediation in Mali through our Peace Building Unit. With the insights gained, the participants – civil leaders, military personnel, and police officers – can play an active role as mediators in local conflicts in Mali and the West African region.

Mali is a notoriously unstable Sahel country. Since 2012, various armed groups have been active there, including Tuareg rebels and Muslim extremists such as JNIM – a branch of Al Qaeda – and the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara.

Last year, the Malian transitional government terminated the 2015 Algiers Peace Agreement, which was reached with the support of the international community. One of the cited reasons was 'the inability of international mediation to ensure compliance with the obligations by the signatory armed groups’. This was followed by an inter-Malian dialogue, without foreign presence, which resulted in a number of recommendations, such as initiating a dialogue with all armed groups.
 

School for peacekeeping

Of course, a strong set of skills is required to mediate between the various Malian factions. In this regard, the École de Maintien de la Paix Alioune Blondin Beye (EMP-ABB) has a lot to offer. This 'peacekeeping school' is located in Mali but is affiliated with the African Union and ECOWAS, the Economic Community of West African States. It receives funding from countries such as the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, and Japan.

The EMP-ABB offers, among other things, a training module on political and community mediation. Between 2003 and 2023, it has already trained 46,000 civil leaders, police officers, and military personnel, mainly from West and Central Africa. This training can obviously prove very useful in Mali as well. That is why Belgium – through our Peace Building Unit – decided to fund a two-week training there in both 2024 and 2025.
 

Tool box

The participants learn the tricks of the trade to mediate as effectively as possible. This includes, among other things, the ability to carry out a thorough analysis of a conflict. What is the context? Who are all the parties involved and who are the potential bridge builders or obstructionists? What are the points of contention?

In addition, they receive a set of tools. For example, engaging in 'active' dialogue where one listens actively. This approach helps build trust, allowing your conversation partners to express themselves freely without fear of being judged hastily. By listening actively, you can more easily uncover the true pain points of the person.

Another technique is BATNA: best alternative to a negotiated agreement. BATNA provides a way out when negotiations reach an impasse: what is the best alternative you can offer?

Still another tool is positions – interests – needs. In a conflict, parties may take opposing, seemingly irreconcilable positions. For example, if they all believe they have a claim to a piece of land. The key is to identify the interests or concerns behind these positions and the needs they address. By disentangling these, you might find some common ground that defuses the conflict.

Furthermore, participants learn how to formulate an agreement, seek creative solutions, and develop a mediation process for a conflict.

8 women

Participants are typically people who can have an impact on a peace process because of their position. For example, members of Malian civil society participated in the 2024 formation supported by Belgium: Lawyers Without Borders, an organisation fighting corruption, a center for humanitarian dialogue and so on.

In addition to 12 Malians, 13 non-Malians from the West African region also participated. Among them were a Burkinabe gendarmerie commander, a Chadian civil servant, and a Guinean staff member of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Of the 25 participants, the EMP-ABB selects 10 military or police officers and 15 civilians. Eight women participated, in a continuous effort to achieve a minimum of 30% women.
 

Belgian flag

By supporting this cause, our country not only aims to contribute to a more stable Malian context, we also enjoy some visibility. For example, during the training, the Belgian flag was flying at the mediation school. At the closing ceremony, the Belgian chargé d'affaires delivered a speech. Furthermore, a member of our embassy staff attended part of the training.

Afterwards, most participants were pleased with what they had learned. Fun fact: one of the instructors was the Belgian Pierre-Yves Monette, a seasoned expert in mediation. He served as the federal ombudsman in our country until 2005 and has internationally recognized expertise in conflict prevention and resolution. Monette frequently works for the UN and played a key role in the negotiations leading to the aforementioned Algiers Agreement in 2015.