The head of Eupol Afghanistan is leaving. The mission extended for 3 years

(BRUSSELS2) The Dane Kai Vittrup, currently in the EU police mission in Afghanistan, will be leaving his post soon on May 31, we learn from various sources. He denies having slammed the door of EUPOL. But at 66, the former Copenhagen police chief does not intend to remain inactive. He found another position at EADS as top-adviser at the "defense and security" level. He thus leaves for Saudi Arabia where he will help to set up the border police, more particularly their surveillance by means of radars and other technological instruments, sold by the European industrialist to the Ministry of the Interior of the Gulf State. . A mission on which EADS intends to remain discreet.

Pending the appointment of a successor (several applications are examined by the Council), it is one of the deputies, Nigel Thomas, who is acting.

At the same time, the EU Council of Ministers endorsed, on May 18, the extension of the EUPOL mission, making it long-term, since it extended it by three years, until May 31, 2013 (a rather exceptional extension, usually the extensions of missions are for one or two years). Simply the mission will be "re-examined every six months to adjust its size and scope if necessary". The mission now has two distinct components, for the police and the rule of law, in addition to the "training capacity". Emphasis was also placed on the field offices and the possibility of working, "if necessary" at the district level. This responds to certain criticisms made in the past (see in particular the REB note and J. Buckley on the subject).

(Nicolas Gros-Verheyde)