Chad ESDP mission. Deployment blocked by lack of commitment from Member States
(BRUSSELS2) As fighting resumed in eastern Chad between rebel forces and the Chadian government, shattering the ceasefire, the Irish general commanding the European military mission to be deployed in the region , Pat Nash is trying, once again, to obtain the necessary political commitment from the Member States. On November 28, he thus reported to the 27 ambassadors of the Political and Security Committee (PSC) on the difficulties they are encountering in the rise in power of the EUFOR Tchad RCA mission.
A helicopter problem
The data of the problem are well known (read also: EUFOR Chad, no progress at the 3rd Force Generation Conference). If the human resources are more or less sufficient, air and helicopter means (6 planes and 15 helicopters at least) and logistics are still lacking. Even if the main European armies are currently tight for tactical air assets, it is not so much the lack of aircraft in itself that is lacking but more a question of funding and political will.
A funding problem
Several countries are ready to provide the necessary equipment (France, Romania, etc.) but on condition that they obtain at least partial support for this equipment. Failing this, moreover, this type of equipment can perfectly be rented from the usual suppliers (Ukrainian, American in particular).
A clear lack of will
However, most of the large Member States are reluctant to make an effort, considering themselves too committed elsewhere.
Le United Kingdom, despite a significant political commitment – he is with France at the origin of the UN resolution on Darfur – is mobilized in Iraq and Afghanistan.
L'Germany — present in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Kosovo — does not want to pay more than its share under the Athena mechanism (20 million). " Countries participating in a mission must bear the costs. There is no question for us to change this position commented a German diplomat.
THEItaly — involved in Lebanon in particular — no longer has an available budget. It is therefore at the political level at the highest level to find a solution » they say to the Council. This question will thus be on the agenda of the Franco-Italian summit, in Nice on Friday, between the President of the Italian Council, Romano Prodi, and the President of the French Republic, Nicolas Sarkozy.
Obtaining the necessary forces is, in fact, necessary to complete the operation plan (OpPlan) which, once approved, allows the official start of the operation and deployment in the field. It will therefore have to be deployed with delay. In the meantime, it is the French forces - within the framework of bilateral military cooperation with Chad - on the front line in Abéché and in the region, which have been providing helicopters and medical means to government troops, prey to rebel attacks, since Monday ( on both sides causing several hundred deaths and injuries).
This delay is not not exceptional in this type of operation, however, tempers an old hand in diplomatic negotiations. For " Operation Althea took weeks of negotiation within NATO. Similarly, the unblocking of the operation in the Congo was only obtained after a summit agreement between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Jacques Chirac. he recalls. " It was only for Operation Artemis (in the Congo in 2003), where there was a risk of massacres, or for the mission in Indonesia in Aceh, after the peace agreement, that it was quickly enough ».
In a few words
- The forces come from about ten Member States: Austria (160 Pax), Belgium (100), Spain (50 + 2 planes), Finland (40), France (1400 + flight hours), Greece (1 plane) , Ireland (400), Luxembourg (2 liaison officers), Netherlands (100), Poland (350), Romania (120), Sweden (200 up to 490). Portugal, Slovenia and Macedonia would also be ready for a modest participation.
- The mission is financed, for a small part, by all the Member States according to the GDP according to the community mechanism of solidarity (Athena); for the rest, by each State involved in the operation (salaries, material resources, etc.).
- About 50 million euros have been released by the European Commission for Chad and the Central African Republic: 30 million € in 2007 (idem in 2008), under the humanitarian component, to come to the aid of displaced populations (managed by the European Office humanitarian aid, Echo); €13 million in 2008 (including €3 million for CAR) for the rehabilitation, reconstruction and development component; €10 million in 2008 for security in the camps with support for the Chadian police.
- In the Eufor deployment area, there are currently 230.000 Sudanese refugees, 170.000 internally displaced persons (from Chad) and 300.000 Chadians in a situation of vulnerability.
(Nicolas Gros-Verheyde)
Published in Europolitics, November 2007
