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Latest news from EU Peacekeeping Missions (CSDP) – April 2015

(BRUSSELS2)

Port Victoria (Seychelles) - Emergency search and rescue exercise

"13 passengers and 2 crew members from an airplane who landed at sea after engine problems, to recover, in an inflatable boat drifting offshore! 'This is the scenario for the exercise organized by the European maritime capability building mission (EUCAP Nestor) and the Dutch amphibious ship Johan de Witt (L-801), who participates to the EU anti-piracy operation (Eunavfor Atalanta) with the relevant Seychellois agencies (Coastguard, Air Force, Civil Aviation Authority and Maritime Security Administration). After the signal «Mayday", the ship coast guard Seychelles, Topaz, immediately deployed on site, with a plane maritime patrol of the Seychelles Air Force. The purpose of the exercise was to test plans and procedures for emergency search and rescue operations. Last year, two major exercises have already been carried out, an anti-piracy exercise and an oil spill exercise. All with the same objective of putting into practice the cooperation between the participating organisms in specific scenarios.

Indian Ocean (Atalanta) – L'Adroit joins the fight against EU anti-piracy

L'Adroit (credit: Eunavfor Atalanta)
L'Adroit (credit: Eunavfor Atalanta)

The French high seas patrol boat, theAdroit (P-725) joined, in mid-April, the anti-piracy operation (Eunavfor Atalanta) for three months. It had set sail on March 10 from the port of Toulon but, before joining the European operation, took part (under national command) in an evacuation operation in Yemen (read: A hundred nationals evacuated from Yemen by the Royal) and also escorted refugee ships fleeing the country to Djibouti.

This ship can be equipped with a drone and a RHIB and can accommodate a helicopter. It has a special status within the Navy. It was the manufacturer DCNS that "made it available" until the summer of 2015. This allows the French Navy to have an additional ship and the manufacturer to test all its capabilities. .

Niamey (Niger) - Training in vehicle fleet management

Credits: EUCAP Sahel niger
Student mechanics after training. Credit: EUCAP Sahel niger

Training in vehicle fleet management was provided by European experts fromEUCAP Sahel Niger. This was the second training session of this module. 21 Gendarmerie mechanics from all regions took part. This training is part of the capacity building in Niger in the field of rolling stock. Activities of the automotive workshops of the various forces have already made it possible to reinforce maintenance actions with the supply of tools.

Bangui (CAR) - First meetings between Europeans and Central African defense 

General Laugel presented the new military mission of the European Union in the Central African Republic (EUMAM CAR) to the Ministry of Defense and General Staff of the Central African Republic. A first opportunity for EUMAM advisers to meet their national counterparts. Read also: EUMAM RCA launched. But delay effect for the workforce

 

Ramallah (Palestine) - Identification kits for the police

The European Palestinian Police Support Mission (EUPOL Copps) handed over evidence kits to the head of the Automatic Fingerprint Identification System of the Palestinian Civil Police (PCP). The district police department is running out of adequate plastic bags to collect the evidence and items seized. The delivery plans to cover the needs of the Criminal Investigation Department for the next three years. This will allow crime scene investigators to collect items without compromising the nature of the evidence. (Read our report, to follow...)

 Kyiv (Ukraine) - Reform of the Ukrainian Prison Service

Credit: EUAM Ukraine
 Credit: EUAM Ukraine

Cooperation with the Penitentiary Service of Ukraine (SPV) and the European Mission on Support for Internal Security Sector Reform in Ukraine (EUAM Ukraine) has started. During this first working meeting, the representatives of the SPV and the head of the mission, Kálmán Mizsei, undertook to draw up a memorandum of reforms.

Odessa (Ukraine) - Support for the establishment of the free trade area

A first meeting of the working group, with the help ofEUBAM Moldova-Ukraine, identified key needs to help both Moldova and Ukraine fulfill their customs obligations under the Association Agreement and for the establishment of a Free Trade Area between Ukraine and Moldova with the EU. Priorities will be the introduction of approved economic operators, a customs debt guarantee system, a new computerized transit system, and post-clearance audit and control. European assistance will include support for infrastructure, legislation and training.

Kabul (Afghanistan) - Signing of a police cooperation protocol

The European Police Assistance Mission (EUPOL Afghanistan) signed a cooperation protocol with the Afghan Ministry of Interior on 23 April. EUPOL wants to focus for 2015-2016 on three key areas: institutional reform within the Ministry of the Interior, the professionalization of the Afghan National Police, the development of links between justice and the police.

(Leonor Hubaut)

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Leonor Hubaut

© B2 - Bruxelles2 is a French online media that focuses on political Europe (powers, defence, foreign policy, internal security). It follows and analyzes developments in European policy, unvarnished and without concessions. Approved by the CPPAP. Member of SPIIL. Please quote "B2" or "Bruxelles2" in case of recovery Leonor Hubaut is a journalist. Graduated in international relations from the Free University of Brussels (specialization in globalization). She covers for B2 the work of the European Parliament, CSDP missions and African issues. Sahel specialist.

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