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Send these “damn” battlegroups to the Central African Republic, you do not think about it!

BattlegroupLitVisitOfficiel@Lit130517
official visit before the battlegroup's on-call duty during a VIP day. (Lithuanian Ministry of Defence, May 2013)

(BRUSSELS2) The battle groups have so far never been deployed. And some like the Dutch Minister of Defense, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert may be right to point out that it is necessary to "use or lose" according to the English formula much more powerful than its French translation (use or lose) . Should we use it just for the pleasure of finding a use for them? Of course not. But the problem is not there today. No country seems really ready today to send these "damn" battlegroups somewhere. This is the reality even if no one admits it.

Above all, don't move...

The reason can be political, economic or ideological. But whatever the motivation, the result is the same. The permanent battlegroup this semester is made up of Balts, Dutch and British. Suffice to say that we can almost certainly predict that he will remain quietly in the barracks... or in the wheat fields doing exercises. The next battlegroup (1st semester 2014) will be centered around the Greeks, Cypriots and Romanians. There it is not a question of motivation that will prevent them from leaving but rather of financial means.

Any decision to send a battlegroup is taken unanimously. That is part of the problem. But it is the on-call countries that bear almost all the blows and all the costs! This is the principle of inverted solidarity. Various efforts have been made to increase the share of common costs. They have been reduced, for now, to a minimum acceptance for transport costs in 2014. But nothing more.

A textbook case

However, the situation in some countries may require rapid, limited and temporary intervention. The case of the Central African Republic is, in this regard, exemplary. We are almost in a textbook case that justifies, and even requires, the intervention of a battlegroup: an intervention within a radius of 6000 km from Brussels, for a period of between one and three months, to deal with a crisis situation, with a force of approximately 1500 men (what is called in France a GT1500 - combined arms tactical group).

Even all the other, unwritten conditions seem to be fulfilled:

  1. There is an international - and even African - consensus for a peacekeeping intervention, with a mandate from the United Nations.
  2. Setting up the African force takes time and it is necessary to have an interim force - a bit like with Eufor Chad in 2008.
  3. The country is not too big (it is not the Congo), the population is not very large (4,5 million inhabitants), in short, it is within reach of a European effort.
  4. The insecurity on the spot is great, the risk of slippage still present, and the need to ensure stabilization in the various centers of the country necessary. However, we are not dealing with such difficult terrain and opposing forces as in Afghanistan or Somalia.
  5. The force of a Member State is ready to come and reinforce the European operation (if necessary). Nb: France in this case which already has several hundred on the spot who control Bangui airport.
  6. The exit strategy is ready. Since the African force already has a UN mandate and is being set up.

Despite everything, there will probably be no European intervention. Because no one is willing or is blocked by internal provisions... Some discussions held today at European level on the need, or not, to relax the conditions of employment of battlegroups or to allow modular use seems useless if, even when the conditions are met, no one thinks of using them!

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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).

3 thoughts on “Send these “damn” battlegroups to the Central African Republic, you do not think about it!"

  • renato iellina

    European battle groups are not suitable for Africa. Too heavy, too slow for the implementation.
    No experience of Africa. It is better not to send them.

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