Malian Army now operating Paramount Marauder MRAPs

The Malian Army is now operating an unknown number of the Paramount Marauder Mine Resistant and Ambush Protected Vehicle (MRAP).

According to photographs taken during the country’s 59th-anniversary parade held at the Kati military camp on 20 January, at least four Paramount Marauder vehicles were seen.

The Marauders were participating in the parade were all fitted with a 14.5 mm gun turret, which was seen fitted to Paramount’s Mbombe 4 armored vehicle in 2016.

However, the South African National Conventional Arms Control Committee’s first-quarter report for 2019, Mali bought 19 armored vehicles from South Africa for R55 million.

More armored vehicles for Mali

For some time now, the Malian armed forces which is the epicentre for islamic extremist activitise, have been receiving a large plethora of armored vehicles from different sources, most of the vehicles were donations.

In December 2019, Mali received 24 Storm 4×4 Armored Personnel Carrier from Qatar. In October, Germany also donated twenty-nine Casspir Armored vehicles to Mali, while the United Arab Emirates gifted thirty Typhoon MRAPs, and Cougar 4×4 Arnored Personnel Carriers to Mali.

Darek Liam

Darek Liam is the North African editor for AMB, where he writes about the intersection of Technology and national security. He has been covering defense and national security issues for more than a decade, previously as African Union correspondent.