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British soldiers sent to tackle Isis in Africa without Covid jab

James Heappey told Parliament last week there had been 24 confirmed cases of Covid-19 (PA Archive)
James Heappey told Parliament last week there had been 24 confirmed cases of Covid-19 (PA Archive)

Defence ministers will be questioned in Parliament this week about why UK forces on the UN peace mission to Mali were not vaccinated against Covid after dozens were found to be infected.

The force of 300, led by the Light Dragoons and Royal Anglians, were deployed in December as part of an international force tackling an Islamist insurgency in the west African country.

Armed Forces Minister James Heappey told Parliament last week there had been 24 confirmed cases of Covid-19 among personnel deployed in the UK taskforce in Mali since March last year. However, sources with the taskforce have said that in last January alone the force had 80 cases — and possibly more not showing symptoms.

Shortages of kit were said to have limited testing capacity and there were difficulties isolating due to barracks conditions, a shared cook house and lavatory facilities. “The Armed Forces were told that we are not to be fast-tracked for vaccination — even for those going on operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and Mali,” said an officer, awaiting emergency deployment to one of the hotspots.

Outbreaks of Covid have also been reported among Royal Navy crews and troops on a recent exercise in Kenya.

The Ministry of Defence said: “UK personnel have been vaccinated in line with national priority guidelines at the time of their deployment, which saw vaccines rolled out to priority groups in order of age and risk.”

This meant that in Mali a senior officer of 39 received a first jab in March — three months into deployment — and a 32-year-old officer several weeks later.

A new force of the Queens Dragoon Guards and the Anglians has now taken over the Operation Newcombe deployment with the UN Mali mission Minusma. Some 98.6 per cent of the UK taskforce have now received first jabs according to a follow-up statement from the MoD — but as of June 10, only 56 per cent their second dose.

Tobias Ellwood, chairman of the Commons defence committee, is to raise the issue of vaccination of operational forces in Parliament.

“It is the duty of any government to ensure our Armed Forces are properly trained and adequately equipped when tasked for operations abroad,” he said.

“Given the obvious dangers of the Covid-19 pandemic this includes ensuring no personnel depart the UK without receiving two doses of the vaccine.”

Recently retired senior officers believe that the operational capability of the Mali taskforce has been weakened by the Covid outbreaks.

“I understand that the Light Dragoons had almost half their force with Covid symptoms and are likely to be asymptomatic,” one general said.

“They didn’t have the facilities to fully isolate, and they only got the testing kit they needed in May — despite frequent requests to headquarters. This is a fundamental matter of force protection.”

Former Labour veterans’ minister Kevan Jones said: “It is indefensible that these men and women were not prioritised for vaccinations.” Defence Secretary Ben Wallace is to appear before the defence committee on Wednesday.

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