B2 The Daily of Geopolitical Europe. News. Files. Reflections. Reports

West Africa - SahelBlog Analysis

The training of gendarmes in Niger, a challenge for the future EU “Sahel” mission

(BRUSSELS2) Preparations for a European mission in the Sahel are advancing… slowly. The ambassadors of the PSC - the Political and Security Committee - were today discussing the Crisis Management Concept (CMC), the first formal step in the political and military process to launch a European Security and Defense Policy mission municipality (PSDC). And the foreign ministers could approve the principle at the next meeting, on March 23… if all goes well. This mission will not be unique. It will include several components adapted to the various problems encountered in the 2-3 countries concerned in the region (Niger, Mali, Mauritania) by the increase in the terrorist and security risk. One of the first elements approved could be, according to information from B2, to provide assistance and training to the Gendarmerie and the National Guard of Niger.

NB: The recent intervention to free two hostages - Italian and British - in the far north of Nigeria, in this area adjoining the Sahel and Niger could speed up preparations for this mission which should normally start by the summer.

Read also:

Nicolas Gros Verheyde

Chief editor of the B2 site. Graduated in European law from the University of Paris I Pantheon Sorbonne and listener to the 65th session of the IHEDN (Institut des Hautes Etudes de la Défense Nationale. Journalist since 1989, founded B2 - Bruxelles2 in 2008. EU/NATO correspondent in Brussels for Sud-Ouest (previously West-France and France-Soir).

s2Member®