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West Africa - SahelMissions Operations

The EUTM Mali mission delayed… by Belgium

Belgian AB 109 helicopters cannot cross the 17th parallel. A little useless? (credit: Belgian Ministry of Defence)

(BRUSSELS2) Even if Belgium had not officially offered it, everyone was counting on Belgian helicopters to provide medical evacuation during the European training mission for the Malian army (EUTM Mali). The solution seemed obvious. The Belgian helicopters are already on the spot, in Mali, in Sévaré more precisely, and operational for a few days... Operational, moreover, is a very big word! According to an airman, Agusta A109 helicopters have an operational limit preventing them from flying beyond the 17th parallel (due to sandstorms). Clearly not beyond the loop of the Niger. A possible solution was to make these helicopters available in Bamako, under the two operations (Serval and EUTM Mali). With the advantage that they are fully operational. The Belgian Ministry of Defense has not, for the moment, responded to this request.

Awaiting review ...

Between Defense Minister Pieter de Crem (CD&V, Flemish Christian Democrat) and Prime Minister Elio de Crem (PS), the atmosphere cannot be said to be good. At the Ministry of Defense, any question about EUTM is referred to “16” (16 rue de la Loi, the seat of the Prime Minister. At the Prime Minister, we recall the context. “ The Belgian Council of Ministers decided on logistical support for Operation Serval on January 15 explained the Prime Minister's spokesperson to B2. An "e" positionexplained to Parliament, which expressly specifies that there would be a prior assessment before (any other decision). Start of the week (during an exceptional Kern), the government confirmed this position, referring to the possibility of Belgian participation in EUTM Somalia (subject to this) assessment. If the evaluation is positive, the government could decide to send instructors or protection forces or make helicopters available. » When will this evaluation take place and who should do it? No one is able to tell at 16 (the prime minister's seat). And for good reason... It is up to the Minister of Defence, Pieter de Crem, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Didier Reynders, to normally produce this assessment. But neither of them apparently provided this document on time (particularly for the meeting of the kern, the council of restricted ministers) as well as the definition of needs. In the meantime, it's the holidays, sacred to Pieter De Crem. And Didier Reynders is going on an official trip to Algeria, Mali and the Ivory Coast... So it could wait a few more days, or even weeks.

De facto blocking of the mission

The question, however, is more than urgent. The European head of mission had to give an opinion that the generation of forces was positive. Opinion which conditions the launch of the mission. Without medical evacuation helicopters, no positive force generation, therefore no mission launch. The only solution would then be to find another country which could urgently replace the Belgians. All eyes are on Vienna (Austria). But it takes a little time to convince the Austrians! Especially since the Minister of Defense Darabos has to face a bronca from the opposition after the failed referendum on the abolition of conscription.

A candidacy by Pieter de Crem for NATO that disturbs the game

Behind the scenes, what may be akin to a refusal is due to a change of mood between the Minister of Defence, Pieter de Crem (*), who left... a little too quickly on the French operation and Prime Minister Elio di Rupo. A pichrocholine war of sorts which however has a major result: delaying the launch of the EUTM Mali mission. You don't have to be too divine to see that Pieter de Crem's candidacy for the general secretariat of NATO is undoubtedly not unrelated to this sudden very reluctant position of the Belgian Ministry of Defense on a European operation. According to our information, General Lecointre has even offered the post of political adviser (POLAD) of the mission alongside him to a Belgian. But no candidates have yet been proposed. Which is a first!

The message did not get through

François Hollande and Elio di Rupo were to discuss this issue on the sidelines of the European summit. But, apparently, the French president did not grasp the importance of the message. And after several hours of negotiation, his head was elsewhere. He thus just congratulated his Belgian counterpart for the support given to the French operation. By forgetting to tell him about the EUTM Mali operation.

Comments : Belgium had accustomed us to a different attitude in European operations. By taking a position against the tide not only of her usual low water level but also of all Europeans, she finds herself dead last in the European class for an operation which meets with broad political support. All this for obscure political or personal career reasons. Damage...

(*) The Defense Minister will not be present at the informal meeting of Defense Ministers in Dublin.

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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