Brussels, 03/04/2014 (Agence Europe) - The 4th EU/Africa summit, which concluded on Thursday 3 April, provided the opportunity for the Europeans to reiterate that they are making a direct contribution to the security and stability of the African continent by means of five civilian missions and four military missions in the framework of the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). In order to underline the importance and effect of these missions for Africa, the President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, stressed the fact that by 2016, about 17,000 African soldiers will have been trained, thanks to support from the Europeans.
In the joint statement of the heads of state, the word “security” features as often as the word “peace”. This is no coincidence, as the two are intrinsically linked and constitute a vital component of development, as the President of the European Commission stressed. “Without peace and security, there can be no development”, said José Manuel Barroso. He said that this simple equation could not be taken for granted even just a few years ago. It is for this reason that he described this summit as “progress”. “Just a few years ago, there was more or less the idea that we could avoid the issues of peace and security and focus solely on development. Today (…), we apply a holistic approach, bringing together economic instruments, trade, investment, aid and development, of course, but also elements of security”, he said.
There is no doubt at all that the defence of the EU's interests is also at stake with these security issues. Van Rompuy took pains to stress this element. “Your security is our security as well”, he told the African leaders. The European missions to train soldiers, in Mali and Somalia, aim to support the efforts of the national armed forces to fight rebel groups such as MNLA and Al-Shabaab, with the regional and international terrorist organisations which follow in their wake, such as Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), creating ramifications to shore up their power. Not forgetting that in the shadow of armed conflicts, plagues often develop such as “transnational organised crime, including trafficking in human beings, trafficking in wild species, natural resources and narcotic drugs”, the summit declaration states.
The figure of 17,000 African soldiers who will have been trained by the EU by 2016 may not appear enough, given the scale of the security challenges facing Africa. By way of comparison, it is equivalent to the armed forces of a country such as Croatia or Slovakia. Additionally, the knock-on effects of this military training are difficult to estimate. If the EUTM Mali mission basically aims to train eight battalions of the Malian Army, other missions will also provide training for local future trainers, so that they can then take over, as is currently the case in Somalia (EUTM Somalia).
In the declaration, the EU reaffirms its commitment to “work in close collaboration with Africa (…) in support of African-led peace operations and, more generally, African efforts in areas like security sector reform, border management, peace building or post-conflict reconstruction or reconciliation, through the provision of advice, mentoring and training”. The supply of equipment “is an option, either as a complement to CSDP missions and operations or as part of stand-alone measures”, the document adds. (JK)