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About the Military Training mission in the Central African Republic (EUTM RCA)

In a letter dated 8 October 2015, the Chef de l'État de la Transition of the Central African Republic (CAR), Mrs Catherine Samba-Panza, invited the European Union to further support the Central African Armed Forces (FACA) through a reinforced operational training structure in full collaboration with the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA).

On 14 March 2016, the Council approved the Crisis Management Concept on a possible EU Military Training Mission in the Central African Republic (EUTM RCA), to contribute to the country's defence sector reform. In a letter dated 30 March 2016, the President of the CAR, Faustin-Archange Touadéra invited the Union to deploy an EU CSDP military training mission in the CAR (EUTM RCA). Subsequently, on 19 April 2016 the Council formally decided to establish EUTM RCA with a view to launching it in July 2016.

In close coordination and complementarity with the MINUSCA, EUTM RCA will support the CAR Government in the implementation of the Security Sector Reform (SSR) by assisting the Forces Armées Centrafricaines (FACA). The goal is to support the build-up of a modernised, effective, ethnically balanced and democratically accountable FACA. The Mission shall concentrate its action in the Bangui and Bouar areas.

The new mission follows the EU Military Advisory Mission in the CAR (EUMAM RCA), the mandate of which came to its end on 17 July 2016.

On This Page

Mandate

On 28 July 2022, the Council extended the mandate of the EUTM RCA by one year, until 20 September 2023. Working towards the goal of modernised, effective and democratically accountable Central African Armed Forces (FACA), EUTM RCA provides:

  1. strategic advice to the Central African Republic’s Ministry of Defence and to the FACA General Staff in support of the creation of capable security forces under democratic control that respect human rights, international humanitarian law and international standards regarding gender issues, the protection of civilians, the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda and the Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC) agenda, as well as advice to training establishments for commissioned and non-commissioned officers of the FACA in order to create a capable leadership education system;
  2. education to the FACA in non-operational domains, including human rights, international humanitarian law, gender issues, the protection of civilians, the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda and the Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC) agenda.

Activities

EUTM RCA has contributed to the restructuring of the Defense sector in three domains: strategic advice, operational training and education. Since July 2016 the EUTM RCA has trained and educated almost 9500 FACA personnel. EUTM RCA has engaged in the training of FACA units and their leaders, and new recruits [including ex-combatants reintegrated in FACA after completion of vetting and Disarmament Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) process].

The Operational training was provided to six Battalions (five Infantry Territorial Battalions and one Amphibious Battalion – total of 3100 personnel).

In addition, the mission has also provided:  validation and certification of FACA personnel trained by a third party (300 personnel), four basic training (FETTA - Formation Elémentaire Toutes Armés) reiteration for more than 2850 recruits. The Mission has also supported FACA in building an operational trainer’s pool to be able to conduct by themselves training and education to own troops.

EUTM RCA has provided advice to the authorities of CAR on a significant amount of regulatory and doctrine documents for the governance of FACA. This includes the Defence Sector Reform (DSR) strategy, the National Defence Plan (NDP), the Military Programming Law (2019–23), the Military Justice Code, the Law on the General Statute of the Military, the decrees on the creation of FACA Military Schools.

  • CORNEL TONEA-BĂLAN

    Brigadier General Cornel Tonea-Bălan.

Mission force Commander EUTM RCA

CV of the Mission force Commander Brigadier General, Cornel Tonea-Bălan

EDUCATION AND TRAINING :

  • 01/10/2009 – 30/07/2011 – MASTER DEGREE, NATIONAL DEFENCE UNIVERSITY, BUCHAREST, ROMANIA
  • 01/10/1992 – 01/07/1996 – BACHELOR DEGREE, ROMANIAN LAND FORCES ACADEMY, SIBIU, ROMANIA

 WORK EXPERIENCE :

  • 01/02/2023 – CURRENT – CHIEF OF STRUCTURES AND ARMAMENTS PLANNING DIRECTORATE J8 / DEFENSE STAFF
  • 13/12/2019 – 01/02/2023 – COMMANDER 30th GUARD BRIGADE
  • 13/02/2019 – 13/12/2019 – CHIEF ANALYSIS G2 BRANCH, ROMANIAN LAND FORCES STAFF
  • 23/02/2018 – 12/02/2019 – COMMANDER OF NATO FORCE INTEGRATION UNIT
  • 21/11/2016 – 23/02/2018 – COMMANDER OF 495th INFANTRY BATTALLION
  • 01/09/2015 – 21/11/2016 – ACOS G3, MULTINATIONAL DIVISION SOUTH EAST
  • 01/09/2014 – 01/09/2015 – BRANCH CHIEF S3, 81st MECHANISED BRIGADE
  • 01/08/2011 – 01/09/2014 – DEPUTY COMMANDER, 812 INFANTRI BATTALION

LANGUAGE SKILLS:

  • ENGLISH: Listening C1, Reading B2, Spoken production B2, Spoken interaction B2, Writing B2
  • FRENCH: Listening B1, Reading B1, Spoken Production B1, Spoken interaction B1, Writing B1

COURSES:

  • 01/09/2018 – 19/07/2019 ROYAL COLLEGE OF DEFENSE STUDIES, LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM

DEPLOYMENTS:

  • 09/07/2002 – 26/11/2002 BELUROKOS 10, KFOR, KOSOVO
  • 15/07/2004 – 10/02/2005 IRAQI FREEDOM, IRAK

13/12/2006 – 30/07/2007 ISAF, AFGHANISTAN