Mud at the feet, the "security" company of EUFOR RCA almost formed

(BRUSSELS2) The EUFOR Rca gendarmerie detachment is almost fully operational. The last elements - the Polish military gendarmes - should leave Warsaw on Friday (June 13) to reach Bangui.

A first in a European operation

It is a first in a European military operation to have an entire detachment of gendarmes, trained and dedicated to the practice of maintaining order, arrest and investigation (with the exception of the EULEX civilian mission in Kosovo). The detachment, commanded by Colonel Massiot (from the Orléans gendarmerie group), will then include two French platoons, from the 14/1 mobile gendarmerie squadron from Versailles-Satory, a platoon from the Spanish Guardia civil and the platoon of Polish military "Żandarmerii", and an intelligence and criminal investigation cell (composed in particular of departmental gendarmes).

This force will ensure area control “In the 3rd and 5th arrondissements – areas devolved to the European force, we specify on the French side. It will support the Central African gendarmes to " restoring order". But it can also intervene in support of the local judicial technical police », particularly in terms of forensic science and the conduct of investigations (help with crime scene management, fingerprinting, etc.).

Guardia Civil soldiers have already been there in Bangui since May 28. The Spanish detachment - which includes 25 officers from the Guardia Civil - and also 50 men from the special forces (which will serve as an extraction and rapid intervention force to EUFOR CAR) is under the command of Admiral Teodoro López Calderón.

For the French gendarmes, it is above all a change of kepis. The gendarmes had been deployed between the end of March - for the first "harpoon" element - and mid-April in Bangui, as part of the Sangaris force. They thus assured various area control and support missions for Central African gendarmes in Bangui and Bria “we specify to the General Staff of the armies, as well as a” technical support in judicial police with MISCA in Bouar ". The transfer of authority took place in the M'Poko camp on May 26, under the respective authority of General Soriano, commander of the Sangaris force, and General Lion, commander of the EUFOR force. Note that one of the French gendarmerie platoons is commanded by a woman.

(Nicolas Gros-Verheyde)

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