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From Vrbanja to Bamako

(BRUSSELS2) To lead the EUTM Mali mission, France, which assumes the role of framework nation, has proposed the name of General Francois Lecointre. The rule - unwritten - that the framework nation assuming the command, it is she who has the mastery of the proposed name should be respected. And it is this name that appears in the draft decision under consideration by the Council of Ministers of the EU. The general having, in addition to nationality, certain qualities, not to say certain qualities.

This name is indeed, perhaps, not unknown to some. In 1995, Captain Lecointre had commanded the group of porpoises of the 3rd Marine Infantry Regiment (Rima) supported by Sagaie light tanks which had taken over the Vrbanja bridge in the center of Sarajevo at the end of May. A feat of arms which had marked a turning point in the conflict in the former Yugoslavia, thus giving the signal to the Serbs that the blue helmets were no longer letting themselves be done. The Serbs had, in fact, begun a strategy of taking hostages (making almost 400 hostages among the blue helmets). They had thus taken the bridge and were holding several French peacekeepers prisoners. The navy troops will leave two killed in the operation and 17 wounded (including two seriously). Strikes will follow on Pale, the stronghold of the Bosnian Serbs, and the intervention of the rapid reaction force. And the Paris-Dayton agreements will be signed.

Marine troops officer

Born in 1962 in Cherbourg, General François Lecointre is an officer of the naval troops for which Africa is generally the breeding ground (since it was born from the fusion of the colonial infantry and artillery). Saint Cyrien, he served in the 3rd RIMA (marine infantry regiment) first as a lieutenant and in the 5th RIOM (overseas combined arms regiment).

It has been engaged on various occasions: in Iraq during the first Gulf War (1991), in Somalia as part of UNOSOM (1992), in the Republic of Djibouti as part of Operation Iskoutir (1991-1993 ), in Rwanda as part of Operation Turquoise (1994) and in Sarajevo (1995). He then served on the Army General Staff, in the Force Systems Design Office. He commanded the 3rd RIMA in Vannes and the Combined Arms Tactical Group 2 (GTIA2) in the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire from October 2006 to February 2007.

Auditor then director of training at the Center for Advanced Military Studies (CHEM) from 2007 to 2009, François Lecointre then moved to the military office of the Minister of Defense (2009-2011), Hervé Morin as head of the "activities-employment" unit. and Deputy "Earth". Today he commands the 9th BLBMa (light armored marine brigade) which is made up of the 2nd and 3rd Rima, the 11th Rama (marine artillery regiment) and the 6th RG (engineering regiment, based in Angers).

This article was first published (December 17) to subscribers of the Club

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).

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