Latest news from EU Peacekeeping Missions (PSDC) – February 2014

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Koulikoro (Mali). The Balazan battalion at work

The Balanzan battalion has started its eighth week of training at Koulikoro camp (north of Bamako) and is moving from individual and team levels to company-level exercises. European trainers prepare Malian soldiers to deal with situations they may potentially encounter during their operational deployment in the north of the country. Among these exercises: foot and vehicle patrols, checkpoints, reconnaissance of buildings, convoy escorts, etc. Incidents related to humanitarian situations were also inserted by the trainers. Objective: to enable soldiers to adopt appropriate behaviors. Because humanitarian law and the prevention of sexual violence “is an important aspect of the training provided by the EUTM mission” trainers insist.

Tanzania. Training in crime scene investigation by EUCAP Nestor 

The European civilian mission EUCAP Nestor organized the training of sixteen members of the Tanzanian Navy and Police. The 2 European trainers have, for two weeks, trained the students on the management of a crime scene and the handling of evidence and documentation. The Ambassador of the European Union, Filiberto Sebregondi, presided over a certificate award ceremony on 28 February.

Georgia. The OSCE Special Representative in the Field Office of Gori

The OSCE Special Representative for the South Caucasus, Angelo Gnaedinger, on Friday 28 February visited the regional office of the European Monitoring Mission for Georgia (EUMM Georgia), in Gori (which has responsibility for Ossetia from South). On the program: a briefing with in particular the deputy head of the EUMM, Ryan Grist, and the visit of a patrol to the administrative border between Ossetia and Georgia “in order to have first-hand information”. During his visit, the Ambassador emphasized the role and co-operation between the OSCE and the EU “to facilitate dialogue between the parties  and welcomed the meetings “as part of the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (MPIR) » as well as the progress “Geneva International Discussions”. This meeting closely followed the 42nd meeting of the MPIR, organized the day before in Ergneti and co-chaired by the OSCE and EUMM.

Mogadishu. EUTM Somalia begins its first course at Camp Jazeera

The EU Military Training Mission for Somalia (EUTM Somalia) started its first 'train the trainer' course on Tuesday 25 February at the Jazeera training camp in Mogadishu. The training is provided by 16 trainers - 8 from Italy, Sweden, 6 and 2 from Hungary, the EUTM mission said. They are 60 military trainees from the Somali national army, previously trained by the EUTM in Uganda. The course lasts four weeks and focuses on infantry techniques and procedures, along with elements of international humanitarian law and military ethics.

Tripoli. 1000 recruits receive their diplomas, EUBAM Libya is here

More than 1000 recruits received their diplomas on Wednesday February 19 at the Customs Training Center in Tripoli, in the presence of representatives of EUBAM Libya (*). For the Deputy Chief of Mission, Peter Rundell, "Customs has a central role, helping to promote what is good - legitimate trade, and the revenue it brings to government - and preventing what is bad - counterfeiting and smuggling". After the graduation ceremony, EUBAM Libya also received an award from the Libyan authorities for its support to the development of Libyan Customs. The creation of a joint EUBAM Libya group on customs and the structure of the Libyan customs tariff was accepted during the month by the Libyan authorities.

(*) NB: According to our information, the Europeans did not, however, train and train these new recruits, contrary to what happens in the EUTM Somalia or EUTM Mali type training missions. Simply the training center is financially supported by the EU. The presence is therefore more symbolic of this financial support.

A new headquarters for EUAM Ukraine

The European Internal Security Assistance Mission in Ukraine (EUAM) left its temporary premises - a city hotel whose first floor had been used as headquarters - to move into its own premises in mid-February. The new HQ is located in the heart of Kyiv on Volodymyrsky Descent a short walk from Maidan Square. The team, which currently numbers 55 people, will normally grow to 101 international staff and 73 local agents. She should move too in the oblasts Ukrainians. « You are not destined to stay here but to engage with your counterparts in kyiv and in the oblasts » told them the Deputy Secretary General of the Diplomatic Service, Maciej Popovski, who inaugurated the premises. And to hope that lhe mission, which has an initial mandate of two years, will make the difference ».
The purpose of the mission is to advise, mentor and support the Ukrainian authorities on reform in (all) sectors of internal security” : Judicial Police, Public Prosecutor's Office, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Police, Border Guards, National Guard and the Ukrainian Security Service. " Reforms are absolutely necessary and must be accelerated, despite the great challenges that Ukraine is facing at the moment " concluded Popovsky.

(Loreline Merelle, Leonor Hubaut, Claire Saignol and Nicolas Gros-Verheyde)