EUFOR RCA: “We must act” (Fr. Hollande)
(BRUSSELS2) “ A European operation has been decided, it must be implemented. It's a question of credibility. Europe manages to act at the humanitarian level. She must also show that she is capable at the military level. explained François Hollande at the end of the European Summit.
Precarious situation
For the French president, the situation in the Central African Republic remains, in fact, precarious " There is an undeniable improvement in security in Bangui and elsewhere. But there are still population displacements, a humanitarian crisis, difficulties for Muslims to be able to stay where they have always lived. » And to conclude: “So we have to act! »
Romania shirking?
The president hasn't said anything, officially, but behind the scenes weak-willed countries — those who make promises and don't keep them — are prompting some unwelcome comments. Nobody wants to name names. But Romania seems to be in the firing line. Bucharest had promised to provide - if not an entire company - at least a section (or platoon), of around 30-40 men. The Romanian government has "pretexted" the situation in Ukraine to reconsider this commitment. It is not the first time. Romania had done the same 6 years ago for the EUFOR Tchad RCA operation. All the details of current and future discussions, on the "B2 Le Club" website. EUFOR Rca: in search of missing elements
Comment: an unresolved fundamental problem, the financing of operations
Beyond the geopolitical situation, the basic problem - the financing of European operations - has still not been resolved. And the slate of sending men and equipment on site still remains the responsibility of the contributing countries. This amounts to a "double burden" for the countries that commit: on the one hand, to have a military commitment, on the other hand, to bear the cost. Without forgetting the (compulsory) contribution to the common costs of the operation (the Athena budget). The fact that this problem has not been resolved - despite the willingness shown by François Hollande in December - undoubtedly weighs on the commitment of certain countries, particularly those in the grip of financial difficulties. If the costs of the operation were really shared, the EUFOR RCA operation would have been launched a long time ago. Countries like Spain (which has already made a significant contribution with more than 70 people), Italy or Greece would have largely provided the necessary additional manpower.
(Nicolas Gros-Verheyde)
