03/02/2020
The objective of the coordination meeting was to take stock of phase I of the project and guide the new phase of execution
Participants in the meeting held in Logroño
The Rural Action Unit of the Guardia Civil hosted at its Logroño headquarters a seminar of coordinators of the Project “Groupes d’Action Rapides – Surveillance et Intervention au Sahel” (GAR-SI SAHEL).
GAR-SI is a project funded by the European Union and directed by the Civil Guard in association with the French Gendarmerie, the Italian Carabinieri and the Republican National Guard of Portugal. The objective of the project, which is managed by the FIIAPP, is to create specialised Units in the beneficiary countries of the G-5 (Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Chad, Burkina Faso and Senegal) to improve security and extend the State’s action in the fight against all types of crime, especially terrorism.
The meeting was attended by 12 European coordinators from six countries and the project management. The speakers indicated that the project was giving good results, but for the next phase the needs of the gendarmeries of these countries will be studied: “Some training will be changed and training in human rights and gender equality will be reinforced.”
During the meeting, the development of phase II of the project was also evaluated. This phase foresees the creation of 7 new units made up of 872 personnel. Looking ahead to 2021, the end date of this second period, the launch of 14 GAR-SI Companies consisting of about 1,700 agents is expected, which will seek to be a security reference in this entire region.
The project director, General Francisco Espinosa stressed that it has multiple missions, including proximity policing, the fight against terrorism and the fight against irregular immigration.
The executives and trainers were trained at the Special Training Centre of the Rural Action Unit, where for two months the African gendarmes have been absorbing the anti-terrorist techniques that were used in the defeat of ETA.
