Reports from European media have unveiled the European Union’s intention to launch a new military-civilian mission in West Africa in the coming autumn, with the goal of providing “targeted training for deploying counter-terrorism operations.”
The newspaper ” Welt am Sonntag ” indicated that the signal for the launch of this new mission in Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Ivory Coast should be given in the fall. The primary objective is to provide specific training in preparation for the deployment of counter-terrorism operations.
According to the newspaper, the number of European police and military personnel to be dispatched to the Gulf of Guinea countries remains unknown. Alongside preparations for counter-terrorism operations, the plan also involves enhancing local security forces and providing technical support.
The paper pointed out that the European Union decided to initiate this mission to address the activities of terrorist groups in West Africa and the Sahel region. It’s worth noting that the governments of Benin and Ghana have already sent formal invitations to the European Union.
Earlier, the National Council for the Protection of the Homeland in Niger announced the expulsion of the French ambassador, Sylvain Iti, due to his failure to respond to a Foreign Ministry invitation for a meeting.
This action was coupled with “other actions by the French government that conflict with Niger’s interests.” France, however, rejected the Nigerien military authorities’ demand to recall their ambassador, asserting that the coup plotters lacked the eligibility to make such a request.
Niger serves as a significant base for the French military, with around 1,500 soldiers stationed there to aid in training and counter-terrorism missions. According to European media outlets, the coup disrupted the European Union’s military mission plans.
Additionally, it poses a challenge to evacuating European soldiers from Niamey. The German military’s plan to retrieve its equipment from neighboring Mali through Niger by the end of the current year is also in jeopardy after ending the missions of 1,100 soldiers in West Africa.
