Since 2010 the EU has had a military training mission (EUTM) in Somalia. The British Government has just dispatched 70 troops to reinforce this mission. The press has been extremely vague about whether the UK troops will be attached to the UN or EU but in fact they are attached to both, the EU mission being UN mandated.
Is there some sort of plan to make it seem as if the UK has an independent defence posture when the EU is responsible for defence policy? Perhaps with the referendum the UK Government does not want it to appear as if the UK must do the EU's bidding.
It is interesting that military forums have spotted that the press may have incorrectly assigned the troops to the UN:
"Strange....... there is no UN operation in Somalia so they won't be wearing light blue UN berets!!!!
Current peacekeeping operations. United Nations Peacekeeping
There is however, AMISOM which is an African Union mission (that doesn't involve any troops from outside Africa).
There is also the EU mission, EUTM Somalia, which involves a dark blue EU beret.
Both missions have UN mandates but aren't UN missions.
I assume that it will be Engineers for UNMISS so" ( source: http://www.arrse.co.uk/community/threads/british-troops-to-south-sudan.244021/page-12 ).
See EUTM Somalia - the EU HQ
See The EU Defence Policy and British Forces
29/9/15
Is there some sort of plan to make it seem as if the UK has an independent defence posture when the EU is responsible for defence policy? Perhaps with the referendum the UK Government does not want it to appear as if the UK must do the EU's bidding.
It is interesting that military forums have spotted that the press may have incorrectly assigned the troops to the UN:
"Strange....... there is no UN operation in Somalia so they won't be wearing light blue UN berets!!!!
Current peacekeeping operations. United Nations Peacekeeping
There is however, AMISOM which is an African Union mission (that doesn't involve any troops from outside Africa).
There is also the EU mission, EUTM Somalia, which involves a dark blue EU beret.
Both missions have UN mandates but aren't UN missions.
I assume that it will be Engineers for UNMISS so" ( source: http://www.arrse.co.uk/community/threads/british-troops-to-south-sudan.244021/page-12 ).
See EUTM Somalia - the EU HQ
See The EU Defence Policy and British Forces
29/9/15
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