Early deployment of an EU anti-terrorism in Niger

Colonel Francisco Navas Espinosa, head of the mission, arrived Wednesday with five of his colleagues, which "marks the beginning of the actual deployment" of the mission, conducted in the framework of the  EU Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) he said in a statement.
 
The mission, decided 16 July by the Council of the European Union, "responds to an invitation from the Government of Niger" and helps "build the capacity of Nigerian security forces to fight against terrorism and organized crime" the  EU explained.
 
 It is called EUCAP Niger Sahel and it will consist of a total of fifty international experts who will be based in the capital.
 
With an initial term of two years, EUCAP Niger Sahel will have a budget of 8.7 million for the first year and will train Nigerian security forces, including gendarmes, police and National Guard.
 
Experts will work with about thirty local agents to  "provide support for regional coordination" in the fight against terrorism and "assistance in the establishment of criminal proceedings based on the rule of law" .
 
Activities "will, initially, focused on Niger, but they may later be extended to Mali and Mauritania."
 
Niamey is concerned about the risks of destabilization associated with the crisis in neighboring Mali, where the north is occupied by armed Islamist groups allied with al-Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).