Brussels, 12/10/2006 (Agence Europe) - It has taken seven months for the Council General Secretariat and for European Commission services to develop a European concept to support African crisis management and prevention capabilities. In July this year, the project was put forward by the Finnish EU Council Presidency in accordance with the opinion of Member State representatives and, in September, it was discussed within the Political and Security Committee. The conclusion reached was that it should serve as a basis for consultation with the African Union (AU), sub-regional organisations (SROs) and other players on the ground in Africa. It is all the more surprising that the document has taken so long to develop as it simply suggests an approach for coherence and coordination and, on a voluntary basis, for the pooling of actions implemented by Member States to support African capabilities. It does, however, come up against lack of interest on the part of certain Member States that do not have traditional links with Africa, and against the financial concerns expressed by Germany which fears overspending of the CFSP and ESDP budgets.
France has suggested that the RECAMP capability strengthening programme, which involves the African Union and addresses African countries at the sub-regional level by suggesting training and on-the-spot exercises (the current cycle which concerns Central Africa also involves the EU and several of its members) should be placed in the European pool.
states) should be placed in the European pool. On the basis of this suggestion, the idea of giving the EU a coherent instrument rapidly won the support of Belgium, the United Kingdom and Portugal, three countries which already contribute to the training of African military. The concept developed on the basis of this first sketch also received welcoming murmurs from Sweden, Luxembourg, Spain as well as from the Netherlands and Italy, which are fully aware that it is preferable to contribute to the formation of African crisis-management and prevention mechanisms rather than be compelled to project interposition forces from Europe. The Baltic States and most Central European countries, on the other hand, feel less concerned by security in Africa. Germany, but also to a lesser extent Austria, are putting a brake on the project because they object in principle to any increase in spending, and also because they balk at seeking the Union invest more in Africa, especially when it is according to a French model to which neo-colonial inspiration can be all too easily attributed. This suspicion, which had already delayed German participation in the operation underway in the Democratic Republic of Congo, is not founded. To be convinced of this, one simply needs to read a proposal for the concept which clearly shows the resolve to meet the needs of Africans. That, too, was the subject of the consultation that has just been launched.
The European concept to strengthen African crisis prevention, management and settlement capabilities is clearly in line with the partnership between the EU and the African Union set out in the EU Strategy for Africa adopted in December 2005 for the period 2006-2015. As is already the case in Darfur, it is a matter of helping the AU shoulder its responsibilities and in this light to structure and consolidate its own crisis management and prevention instruments. It is not a question of creating a new body within the EU but of coordinating what already exists at Union level with bilateral actions implemented by Member States. The EU should: - develop a coherent approach for contribution to the formation of African capabilities using a “united response”; - continue to financing AU structures; - and encourage and support efforts of harmonisation, especially to reduce overlapping of responsibilities of sub-regional organisations (SRO) in areas of peace and security. The other objectives defined by the concept cover: (1) improved AU and SRO mediation capabilities; (2) support for establishment of an effective, continental-scale early warning system; (3) support for the development of planning capabilities and operations (operational headquarters, procedures, training, etc.); (4) support for the constitution of five African brigades that should in time become rapidly deployable; (5) the development, by AU and SROs, of their own reconstruction and post-conflict development policies; and (6) the promotion of effective dialogue between the AU and SROs. In order to develop the coordination and coherence of European action, the draft concept suggests the creation of a small support and coordination structure within the Council General Secretariat. Given the multidimensional nature of the action envisaged, and the strict limits within which it is possible to call on the respective CFSP and ESDP budgets, financing arrangements that call for Member States' contributions should be defined. Intensified dialogue and cooperation between the EU, the AU and the sub-regional organisations will above all require strengthened EU representation in Addis Ababa and at the different seats of the sub-regional organisations. Support for the training of Africans could call for mobilisation of assistance from the European Police College (CEPOL), the EU Institute for Security Studies (ISS). Also, on a voluntary basis, the possibility of synergy and pooling of Member States' and EU resources should be identified and carried out to support African schools and school networks. France has suggested opening up its arms depots in Dakar, Libreville and Djibouti to its partners in order to contribute to the stockpiling of material and equipment for the AU and SROs. The RECAMP training programme could be placed under the EU's political control and strategic direction with other activities besides, contributed on a voluntary basis by other Member States.
In addition to the consultation of African partners, there is still a great deal of work to be done to develop this tool in practical ways and to find good solutions for financing the different actions. The road is still long, but the most optimistic trust that, despite these difficulties, the Council of Ministers will still manage to adopt conclusions in November on the need to pursue and possibly accelerate the work. (oj) (Source: Our bulletin Atlantic News)