Franco-British training in Liberia
(B2) A first Franco-British operational training detachment (DIO) trained around a hundred Liberian soldiers from July 29 to August 9. On the French side, sappers from the 2nd foreign engineering regiment (2nd REG) supervised training on the fight against improvised explosive devices. On the British side, infantrymen from the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment shared infantry skills. A detachment from the Spanish Air Force also contributed to the mission by providing a C-130 and its crew which took care of the transport of men and equipment.
These trainings were provided for the benefit of the company which is to deploy to Mali in September in self-relief, as part of the UN operation in this country. The French and the British have supplemented the training of the Liberian military with very specific techniques in the fight against terrorism. Diplomats from both countries reported in front of the local press the satisfaction of European trainers, who would have demonstrated a satisfactory level of competence for this deployment. This will be the sixth rotation of Liberian soldiers in Mali since their participation began in 2013.
The legionnaires deployed by France belong to the regional cooperation unit of the French elements in Senegal (EFS). Its "operational cooperation center" aims to provide this type of training to the various countries of the region.
(RM)
