Somali military training mission (Eutra): the last line… curved?
(BRUSSELS2) The programming of the EU military mission contributing to the training of Somali security forces (according to the official name: "EU Military Mission to contribute to the training of Somali Security Forces") evolves slowly. We have been discussing it for more than six months now within the working groups or the Political and Security Committee (PSC). The first document put into circulation dates from the beginning of July! But no final decision has yet been made. The Europeans are fine-tuning their plans! But still hesitate to engage in a mission of a very different nature...
A decision in January?
A strategic option was adopted at the Council of Defense Ministers last November, with the adoption of a crisis management concept (1). And several MSO (military strategic options) were successively discussed to guide the work of the military and planners (2). Spain accepted the role of Framework Nation (3) and a planner was appointed. But the official launch is late.
For someone close to Catherine Ashton, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Policy, there is no ambiguity: "The institutional change has undoubtedly slightly delayed decision-making. But, very soon, a decision could be made". Perhaps as early as the January Council (the first to be chaired in the "Lisbon Treaty" format by the High Representative), or even that of February, according to some opinions, in any case before the deadline for May 2010 put forward by some diplomats from Member States. COPS meets on Friday and has this file on its table to "clear" the last difficult points. And the group of diplomats is fine-tuning a draft Council decision. The discussion is of several natures according to the testimony of an expert in the case.
Questions that remain under discussion
One discussion is of a political nature: Should the Europeans get involved in this region of the world or not? Do we need a new ESDP mission? Shouldn't we instead leave room for bilateral actions? In this discussion, we find what I call "the historical hesitant" - the United Kingdom (4) -, but also the Netherlands. But according to a member of the COPS, if these hesitations still exist, other more "technical" problems are also mentioned. Another way of evoking political reluctance will say the pessimists, the sign that most Europeans have entered into the concrete discussion, will say the optimists. There is also a fact that cannot be ignored: the American and British engagement in Yemen mainly and in favor of Amisom, too. The "technical" questions are diverse. They can be summarized in three essentially:
1° How to ensure that the Somali soldiers, thus trained, will not then return their weapons? This question is all the more crucial in light of the latest attacks in Somalia (see also: Fearsome discovery of the Ugandans: two Somali rebels had been trained by them).
2° How to pay and equip the soldiers thus trained? Delicate question when officially the EU does not finance this type of service. The solution could go through the African Union and collaboration with the United States (notably for arms) could take shape.
3° How to ensure medical support? The situation in Uganda does not seem sufficient in medical matters. And it might be necessary to have a Role 2 type structure in place.
The content of the training: modules rather than basic training
Some issues have been resolved, including the location (Uganda) and the content of the training: rather than basic training (as the French provided in Djibouti in 2009) and as the Ugandans already provide, the Europeans would propose to ensure the holding of specific modules such as on supervision, on certain procedures (arrests or apprehensions of suspects, etc.). This has several advantages: sparing the African Union, requiring fewer men, "having real added value" more in line with European tradition. resolve a political issue (which clashes with some countries, training soldiers in combat is not really a traditional EU mission more oriented towards the rule of law or peacekeeping). In terms of staff, there do not really seem to be any problems: the States having already announced their quantified participation (Spain, France, Hungary, Slovenia, etc.) already ensuring sufficient staff to start the mission.
Operation code name: Eutra
Last but not least: the code name of the operation: this would be "Eutra" (like EU Training).
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