EUFOR RCA: “the momentum is launched”
(BRUSSELS2) Gathered in Athens on Friday (20 February), all Defense Ministers “ shared their concern about the situation in the Central African Republic, commending the work already accomplished by the French and African forces, welcoming the commitment of the United Nations, and supporting the European military operation (EUFOR RCA) currently being established as summarized to B2 after the meeting by General de Rousiers, Chairman of the EU Military Committee.
The dynamic is launched
For him, " the momentum is gone. And we're past the point of no return ". This was already visible at the last Council of Ministers. "Ihere are a number of countries today that are ready to move forward. We know that there will be sufficient mass to launch the operation ". According to our information, EUFOR RCA could eventually reach nearly 1000 men and women.
The fixed schedule
The force generation meeting was thus brought forward to February 25 (it was originally scheduled for February 27). The PSC (Political and Security Committee) is expected to approve the Operation Plan (OpPlan) and Rules of Engagement (ROE) within the week. This should enable the Council to approve the launch decision at the beginning of March (between March 7 and 11), once all the Member States have lifted their parliamentary reservations.
Gradual deployment from March 10
But the deployment of troops on the ground will then be done " progressive way ". A few hundred first. The objective is to have, the day after the adoption of the decision, "planes that can bring the first soldiers to the spot ". Then a ramp-up as and when possible, with intermediate capacity reached in early April and full operational capacity in May. This mechanism, staggered over time, also has an advantage: it allows countries that have a longer and more complex procedure for engaging in external operations, particularly at the parliamentary level, to carry it out successfully while not delaying the deployment of the assignment. This deployment in a fairly short time requires some preparation. Already, a team from the operation commander, General Ponties, is in Bangui to prepare the ground, sign contracts and have contacts with the Central African authorities.
From PsyOps and the European Gendarmerie
It is also important to have a PsyOps team. It is a question of explaining the presence of Europeans to the population, " to prevent highway robbers from exploiting the arrival of Europeans on the spot, let people know what we are doing explains a senior European official. The innovative point of this EUFOR will be the commitment of gendarmerie forces (about 140 men). Forces accustomed to maintaining order but also to the apprehension of troublemakers (even to the beginnings of a judicial investigation). The European forces should, in fact, be empowered to carry out these "arrests", the suspects then being handed over to the Central African authorities (gendarmes, police, etc.) A meeting takes place at the Force HQ, in Vicenza, in order to determine which countries are ready to participate. In addition to the French (about 90 as Jean Guisnel specifies point), Spaniards from the Guardia Civil (in addition to the 50 soldiers) — and possibly Italian Carabinieri, Portuguese gendarmes or Polish military police — could be mobilized.
Contributions that are refined
On the contributions, we will be fixed today. But the hope is to see confirmed most of the contributions interviewed with 4 companies — French, Georgian, Polish and Balto-Iberian (Read: EUFOR RCA. Long live the Georgians?).
L'Spain confirmed its desire to send around fifty soldiers, a Spanish official told B2: officers for the General Staff but also special forces (which could serve as extraction forces). The exact split—between the OHQ in Larissa and Bangui—is yet to be determined. Everything will depend what the operation commander will decide". This " strong political will has yet to be formalized by a decision of the government and an approval of the Congress (Parliament)”.
It should be noted : The Finland should send only about twenty soldiers to Bangui, to perform specialist functions (demining or destruction of weapons, civil-military Cimic or care) and a few staff officers at the OHQ in Larissa (Greece) or at the FHQ in Bangui. The decision should be taken on Wednesday (February 26) at a meeting of the Interministerial Committee for Foreign and Security Policy (a decision-making committee chaired by the President of the Republic, Niinistö). Estimated cost for Helsinki: between 10 to 15 million euros.
La Hungary could finally send 12 officers (and not 6 as announced at the beginning) announced the Minister of Defense Csaba Hende. The Hungarian offer did not seem sufficient to be accepted (only 1 officer would have been present at the OHQ and 2 in the field). It should be noted that the sending of troops abroad - within the framework of a NATO or EU operation - only requires a decision by the Government without consulting Parliament; which is not not the case for sending forces in support of a bilateral operation “, such as Sangaris, which requires consultation of Parliament, as confirmed to B2 by an official.
The Netherlands do not provide " not to participate in this operation” with troops on the ground, said the Dutch Minister of Defense in Athens. But two Dutch officers will be present at the headquarters of the European force in Bangui (EUFOR RCA), under the command of General Thierry Lion.
La Slovakia does not plan to send forces but should send an officer to the OHQ, according to the Minister of Defence.
(Nicolas Gros-Verheyde)
