EUFOR-CAR I

Since May 2014 the Army contributes a contingent of around 100 soldiers to the European Union Force in the Central African Republic under the command of Lieutenant General J. L. S.

Most of those soldiers come from the Special Operations Command – specifically, from the Special Operations Group “Caballero Legionario Maderal de Oleaga” – , but the contingent also includes personnel from other units in order to provide the necessary support, as well as 25 members of the Civil Guard.

The Spanish contribution includes the soldiers stationed at the headquarters in Bangui (the capital of the country) and in Larissa (Greece), which brings the total figure to nearly 100 troops – 70% of them, from the Army. Spain is, therefore, one of the main contributors to the mission in terms of personnel.

The troops left Spain on 29 May bound for the heart of Africa and will initially be hosted by the Finnish contingent. However, that is only a temporary arrangement; the building of permanent quarters for the international forces is already under way.

Their first task will be to establish and maintain a good relationship with the local population and gauge local perceptions of the foreign troops. In addition, they will have to be ready to face any contingency that might arise in the districts they have been assigned.

For their part, the Civil Guards will focus on policing activities as part of a European police force. The multinational battalion, which does not include Spanish troops, is charged with patrolling the capital.