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Latest news from EU peacekeeping missions and operations – CSDP (July 2021)

(B2) The tour of missions and operations is ultimately never like any other. This month, we are boarding alongside Europeans on the deck of a ship, on land. Or to climb the slopes of a mountain to collect anti-personnel mines. They applaud the creativity of law enforcement to fight corruption. In Iraq, the mission extends its presence to Kurdistan…

Niamey (Niger). New mobile company at the border

The creation of a third Mobile Border Control Company (CMCF) is on track. An agreement has just been signed to this effect between the European mission to support the internal security and stabilization forces of Niger (EUCAP Sahel Niger) and the National Police. Details here

(credit: EUCAP Sahel Niger)

Erbil (Iraq). Reinforced presence in Iraqi Kurdistan

In view of the opening of a presence in Erbil, the head of the European Union Internal Security Advisory Mission (EUAM Iraq), Christoph Buik, traveled for a series of meetings with the authorities regional. The challenge is to strengthen cooperation in the area of ​​security sector reform. A visit widely reported by the local press. Details here

Head of Mission C. Buik, and Dr. Hemin Hawrami, Deputy Speaker of the Kurdistan Regional Government Parliament (credit: EUAM Iraq)

Mogadishu (Somalia). boat ashore

The " ship in a box » (SIAB), the Law Enforcement Training Centre, served as a training ground for a joint integration training between the Bosaso Port Maritime Police Units (BP-MPU) and the Somali Police Force (SPF-MPU). The SIAB is a land-based replica of a merchant ship deck. It was handed over to the Somali Police Force Maritime Police (SPF-MPU) by the EU Maritime Capabilities Support Mission (EUCAP Somalia) two years ago. Details here

On board the SIAB, law enforcement officers train, in particular, on boarding procedures for inspections on board merchant ships (credit: EUCAP Somalia)

Treskavica (Bosnia and Herzegovina). Mine clearance in the high mountains

When members of the helicopter crew of EUFOR Althea air operations (EU stabilization operation) depart with the Civil Protection Agency (CPA) of Bosnia and Herzegovina, on the slopes of Mount Treskavica (2088 meters at the summit), it is not for an exercise or a simple hiking circuit. But for a mine clearance operation. Here, on hiking trails, we still find anti-personnel mines and explosive remnants of war displaced by avalanches. Details here

Gulf of Aden. The sea route of food aid

Escorting World Food Program boats remains a flagship activity of the anti-maritime piracy operation (EUNAVFOR Atalanta) in the Gulf. EUNAVFOR Somalia has “ a 100% success rate in protecting WFP in the Horn of Africa, and we are fully committed to maintaining it explains Rear Admiral (LH) Luca P. Esposito, CTF 465 Force Commander. here

(credit: EUNAVFOR Atalanta)

Ukraine. Campaign Against Corruption

Three videos and three posters were selected to illustrate the new awareness campaign on the importance of preventing and fighting corruption, carried out by the European Union advisory mission to the Ukrainian internal security forces (EUAM Ukraine). The awards ceremony took place in July. Nearly 100 candidates, from 14 law enforcement academies, responded to the competition launched by the mission in partnership with the Hanns Seidel Foundation. Details here and the posters to discover leaves

One of the winning posters (credit: EUAM Ukraine)

Enguri (Georgia). Visit from Ukrainian neighbor

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky visited the Enguri Bridge near the Abkhazian administrative demarcation line. The opportunity for the head of the EU observation mission in Georgia (EUMM Georgia), Ambassador Marek Szczygieł, to give him an overview of the issues and the contrasting developments in the situation in terms of security and a humanitarian plan. Details here

(credit: EUMM Georgia)

Bamako (Mali) Taking up post

The new force commander of EUTM Mali, German Brigadier General Jochen Deuer, took office on July 7, 2021. He succeeds Brigadier General Fernando Luis Gracia Herreiz (Spanish Army). Details here

(credit: EUTM Mali)

(information collected by Emmanuelle Stroesser)

NB: To find out everything about the latest developments in European defense policy, the essential thing to obtain: the new European defense 'toolbox', which has just been published, as well as our reference book on CSDP

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Emmanuelle Stroesser

A journalist for magazines and the press, Emmanuelle specializes in humanitarian issues, development, asylum and migration and human rights.