Latest news from EU peacekeeping missions (CSDP) – May 2015
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Herat (Afghanistan). End of the European presence in Herat
The European Police Mission (EUPOL Afghanistan) will close its field office in Herat (western Afghanistan) at the end of May, after seven years of supporting their Afghan counterparts. For the head of the mission, Pia Stjernvall, the office in Herat has achieved good results, in particular in promoting the principles and methods of community policing as well as improving cooperation between the police, prosecutors and lawyers of the defense. " Afghan partners can take over now for professional, accountable and effective policing ».
Djibouti. Coastguards equipped and trained for underwater surveys
True to his motto "train and equip", the Head of Mission ofEUCAP Nestor, Etienne de Poncins, handed over, at the end of the training, to the head of the Djiboutian coast guard, Colonel Wais Omar Bogoreh, lots of equipment consisting of diving, survey and underwater research equipment or terrestrial. These kits, which can equip 8 divers, will be used for more complex training exercises such as the delimitation of underwater crime scenes, the search for evidence in depth or even underwater photography. This varied training will give the Coast Guard the ability to intervene directly at the scene of a crime at sea, particularly piracy, in particular to help find evidence that may have been thrown into the water by the criminals.
Eunavfor Atalanta. Spain takes command
Admiral Alfonso Gómez of the Spanish Navy assumed, on Wednesday May 6, 2015, command of the naval force in the area (FHQ) of the European anti-piracy operation (EUNAVFOR Atalanta) at a ceremony held in Djibouti.
He will lead the EU naval force for approximately five months. Force composed of four ships: the German frigate FGS Bayern (F-217) equipped with two Super Lynx Mk.88A helicopters, the Italian frigate Grecale (F-571) of the Maestrale class, equipped with 2 AB-212 ASW helicopters and the two Spanish ships, the corvette Infant Christina and Galicia. To which must be added two planes: a Spanish CASA CN 235 VIGMA and a German P-3C Orion Jester, usually based in Djibouti.
Admiral Gomez thus replaces Admiral Jonas Haggren, of the Swedish Navy present in the area since February 2015, having himself taken over from the Italians (read: Passing of the torch between Italians and Dutch in the Indian Ocean
Dar Es Salaam (Tanzania). Fire training
The Spanish landing ship Galicia (L51), which is part of the EU's anti-piracy mission in the Indian Ocean (EUNAVFOR Atalanta), provided maritime training to Tanzanian Navy sailors in mid-May during a port visit to Dar es Salaam. After a briefing on the command and control system used on the Spanish warship to monitor all activity at sea, the ship's crew and visitors carried out a practical fire drill.
Jazeera camp - Mogadishu (Somalia). Course completed for platoon commanders
The closing ceremony for the Platoon Commander's Course took place at the Jazeera training camp on April 30 in Mogadishu. The event marked the promotion of the 58 future leaders of the peloton. Planned, organized and led by EUTM Somalia, the 15-week course began in Uganda at the Military Academy and was completed at Jazeera Training Camp. The officers will now be deployed throughout Somalia, it is said at the headquarters of the European mission.
Bapho (Mali). Combat River Crossing (CRC) training
For nine weeks, Malian engineers learned to assemble and operate a pontoon ferry weighing more than 1200 kg. They proved their skills in a final exercise, carried out under extreme heat, specifies the European mission EUTM Mali who organized the course. This so-called "CRC" (Combat River Crossing) training is a key skill, given the lack of infrastructure and the small number of bridges over the Niger River. This training, carried out by German engineers, complements the training provided in Koulikoro.
Kyiv (Ukraine). Border management teams get to work
A meeting of the Border Management Assistance Group (BMAG) was organised, for the first time, on 15 May by the EU Internal Security Advisory Mission in Ukraine (EUAM Ukraine). Objective: to identify and find solutions for Ukrainian problems in the protection of their borders. While less than 10% of border staff are trained to operate in conflict zones, Europeans want to contribute their experience in passport verification, inter-agency communication and capacity building.
Pristina (Kosovo). Practical training of lawyers on war crimes
What to do when a witness does not recount all the events or does not remember the order? It is around this practical case that the Kosovar investigators and prosecutors worked on May 22. Objective of the training given by the magistrates ofEULEX Kosovo : focus on improving the capacity of investigators to conduct interrogations and obtain admissible statements in the fight against war crimes but also in cases of sexual assault. The witness protection program has also been studied to establish how to use it in these specific cases.
(Leonor Hubaut)
