Gulf of Guinea, Francisco Javier López Fuster to become head of EU initiative’s military command and support cell

08/01/2025 (Agence Europe) – Spanish Captain Francisco Javier López Fuster is to be appointed head of the military command and support cell of the EU’s Security and Defence Initiative in support of West African countries of the Gulf of Guinea from 15 January 2025, according to a draft decision of the European Union’s Political and Security Committee. He will take over from Spanish colonel Sergio Puebla García, who was in office until 14 July 2024, and no head of the military command and support cell for the initiative has since been appointed. The initiative aims to support Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo and Benin in strengthening their security and defence capabilities to respond to security threats and combat the repercussions of insecurity emanating from the Sahel to the coastal states of West Africa, according to the European External Action Service. (CG)