| Alioune Blondin Beye Peacekeeping School | |
| Native Name: | École de maintien de la paix Alioune Blondin Beye de Bamako |
| Formation: | 1999 |
| Type: | Training center |
| Location: | Bamako, Mali |
| Affiliation: | ECOWAS, APSTA |
The Alioune Blondin Beye Peacekeeping School of Bamako (EMP) is a center in Mali designed to train African civilian and military leaders in peace support operations (PSO), at both fundamental and tactical levels.[1]
The EMP is part of two main networks. The first is ECOWAS, within which three centers provide PSO training: the National War College in Nigeria (strategic level), the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre in Ghana (operational level), and the EMP in Bamako (tactical level). The second is the African Peace Support Trainers Association (APSTA).
Though it is the only center for PSO in the Francophone region, the instruction is bilingual (French-English) to best meet the linguistic realities of the continent and the multinational nature of PSO. Trainees come from all African states, either nominated by their administrations or volunteering after their applications are reviewed. Courses are open to both men and women.
Initiated as part of French military cooperation, the school was established in 1999 through an initial partnership between Côte d'Ivoire and France. Initially located in Zambakro, Côte d'Ivoire, it trained over 600 trainees, primarily as brigade or battalion staff officers and military observers. Following internal conflict in Côte d'Ivoire, the partnership was interrupted and re-established with the Republic of Mali. After a six-month hiatus, the EMP resumed instruction at the camp in Koulikoro, 60 km northeast of Bamako. In April 2007, it moved to the Malian capital in modern facilities built with international community support, totaling around 8 million euros. Contributions came from: France 32%, Mali 23%, Netherlands 13%, Germany 13%, Canada 9%, Switzerland 4%, United Kingdom 3%, Denmark 2%, United States 1%.
The school's status changed during the transfer; it is now a Malian law school attached to the Minister of Defense and Veterans Affairs, with autonomous multinational funding under the control of a board of directors comprising representatives from contributing countries. It is led by a Malian general. Since its relocation to Mali, it has trained nearly 7,300 African officers, police officers, and civilians as of September 2013. Partnerships with organizations like the United Nations and the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) have expanded the courses to include areas such as Human Rights, Gender studies, and the Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) process.
In 2007, the school was named in memory of Alioune Blondin Beye, a Malian professor, lawyer, and politician who served as Minister of Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture, and later as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mali. He was also a member of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights. During the Angolan civil war, he was appointed in June 1993 as the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General (SRSG). He led the UN Verification Mission (UNAVEM II and UNAVEM III) from June 1993 to June 1997, and the UN Observer Mission (MONUA) from July 1997 to June 1998. He tragically died in a plane crash off the coast of Côte d'Ivoire on June 26, 1998, while on a UN mission.[2]
The events in Mali since March 2012, including a military mutiny and the invasion of the north, significantly disrupted the EMP's operations due to the cessation of funding by most international donors. Following the French military operation Operation Serval in early 2013 and the gradual return to democracy, many countries have expressed a desire to renew their support for this unique institution that contributes to the education of African leaders. The EMP plans to establish a Sahel-Saharan Analysis and Research Center between 2013 and 2018, as part of a five-year strategic plan. This future center aims to provide better understanding of the Sahel region and its characteristics through direct-source studies, attracting researchers, doctoral candidates, and African students from universities across the continent.
Although the school remains commanded by a Malian general officer and its board of directors, which determines its policies and operations, is chaired by the Malian Minister of Defense and Veterans Affairs, the ambassadors of contributing countries, as ex-officio members of the board, play an active role in defining and validating the school's general policy.
(Since April 2007, the Directors of Studies also serve as deputy director of the school)