The Foreign Service Journal, March 2023

44 MARCH 2023 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL The team continued to be tested. In June and July 2020, growing numbers of protestors began demonstrating against the Malian government over myriad security and economic issues. Political violence led to several civilians being killed by security forces in one Bamako neighborhood. In August 2020, a group of military officers overthrew the Malian government. In October 2020, that group ceded power to a transition government, after which another former officer consolidated power in 2021. Hopes for speedy elections to return to civilian governance were dashed, but in June 2022, the transition authorities announced plans to hold elections no later than March 2024. Within 24 hours of the 2020 coup, the U.S. Embassy Regional Security Office was in contact with SPEAR members who con- firmed their dedication to continuing their embassy protection mission. The embassy soon was in direct contact with coup lead- ers, who assured that SPEAR members would remain impartial and focused on their mission to protect the U.S. diplomatic com- munity. Significantly, when SPEAR unit members remained loyal to their mission of protecting Americans, their actions helped avoid the need for an ordered departure and allowed diplomats to continue their work. Due to the increasingly challenging threat environment in Bamako, marked by an attack directly outside the city on July 22, 2022, traveling outside the capital requires extensive preparation and almost always includes a SPEAR team escort. According to a DSS special agent on the RSO staff, “They [SPEAR] enable us to conduct diplomacy in a pretty grim environment.” Advantages and Challenges The SPEAR program has several advantages over deploying U.S. personnel to high-risk locations. First, under international law, host nations have the primary responsibility for protecting foreign diplomats. Second, local law enforcement officers have a deep cultural and legal understanding of their domestic com- munities. These officers can reduce local tensions and threats, whereas the temporary deployment of outside security forces can heighten them. The reputation of SPEAR also generates confidence back in Washington, D.C., because it alleviates concerns about evacuat- ing mission members during frequent changes in the threat level. SPEAR exists to serve the security interests of U.S. diplomatic missions in higher risk environments, where host nations benefit from increased support to respond to crisis events. Implement- ing and maintaining the programs requires strong cooperation between the respective embassy or consulate and host nation authorities. Terms of the partnership are agreed to in a nonbind- ing memorandum of understanding executed between the two governments. SPEAR programs are cost and labor intensive. They are not appropriate for every post; but for the posts that require them, SPEAR provides an unparalleled resource to augment embassy security programs. n U.S. Ambassador to Mali Dennis Hankins speaks with family members and SPEAR officers during a memorial service May 12, 2022, for two U.S. embassy SPEAR officers who were killed in a terrorist attack while on a Mali National Guard rotation. DSS/ATA Two Malian SPEAR officers hug after the May 12, 2022, memorial service for their fellow officers killed in the line of duty. DSS/ATA