Meet our new Head of Mission

N e w s l e tt e r, S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 9

EUCAP SOMALIA

European Union Capacity Building Mission in Somalia

As of 19 September, Chris Reynolds became EUCAP Somalia’s new Head of Mission. Chris needs no introduc-tion as he joined the mission for the first time in 2016 and again in Janu-ary 2019 as Deputy Head of Mis-sion/Chief of Staff, but we asked him to tell a little more of himself and about his vision of the future of EUCAP Somalia.

Tell us something about yourself! I joined the Navy very soon after I left school and, after being trained by the Royal Navy, served from 1979 to 1997 as a deck officer with a specialization as Officer in Charge (OiC) the Navy diving and bomb disposal unit. My most memo-rable military memory was as OiC of the first convoy into the UN Qana camp in Southern Lebanon after the massacre during the Grapes of Wrath war in 1996. I joined the Irish Coast Guard in 1997 becoming its Director in 2007.

I am married to Geraldine and have three great sons. In my sporting life, I was the first Irishman to dive the wreck of the Lusitania and to scuba dive to 100 meters depth, which I did in 1996. Now my sporting passion is rugby and when home spend my weekends as a referee.

You came to the mission first in 2016. Three years later, what has changed? You don’t notice change easily in Somalia unless you take the long term view. Now I see a much stronger economy, a confi-dent political class and an appetite to become something different from the past 20 years. The security situation however has not improved very much but recent developments, at least in Mogadishu, offer a glimpse of what might be for future Somali generations.

What are the greatest achievements of the mission? In Somaliland we have seen significant gains in the enactment of the Coast Guard law and now the starting of pa-trolling potential for the SLCG with all the challenges that entails. Puntland has been more challenging, and if the law drafting, ministerial coordination mecha-nisms, CID and coastal node activities come to fruition, that would be a fine example of multi-disciplinary activity.

In Mogadishu, the MPU Project and Cut-lass Express stand out as key achieve-ments. In Rule of Law and policing, I think our future opportunities are very strong and the upcoming MACRILEX ex-ercise, AGO engagement, Darwish de-ployment, police headquarters develop-ment and activation of the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) will be indicators of where we can gain depth.

How do you see the future of the Mission? There is a sporting expression and that is that you play the game in front of you. In other words, you sense, explore, and move forward when opportunities allow. Ultimately, this question leads only to speculation, as it is the Member States that will guide the Mission.

The visit of CPCC Head of Operations Division Jean-Marc Pisani next month is the starting point of that discussion and I know many Mission Members will be eager to contribute their views during his visit. Currently in Mogadishu, those op-portunities lie in police reform and we will focus in that area to gain a depth and sustainability in what we do. Should the Federal Government make a choice on a Coast Guard, then that is an area that would require a lot of work; but

history on this subject is not kind. I also believe maritime policing will remain a strong work stream in the years to come but with institutional challenges. In Somaliland I don’t envisage a signifi-cant change in focus and in Puntland I believe further analysis will identify in what direction the field office can make sustainable and deep progress.

Medal parade in September

Highlights of the month

EUCAP-S and EUNVAFOR or-

ganize a MACRILEX exercise on

25/9-2/10. The purpose of the

exercise is to strengthen the

Somali criminal justice chain

through a scenario-based train-

ing by identifying weaknesses

and by increasing interactions

across professional groups and

learning from each other.

EUCAP-S and UNSOM/Rule of

Law and Security Institutions

Group supported the Consulta-

tive Conference for Women in

the Maritime Sector. Orga-

nized by the Ministry of Wom-

en and Human Rights Develop-

ment of the Federal Govern-

ment of Somalia and the Minis-

try of Ports and Marine

Transport, the conference took

place on 4/9 in Mogadishu. It

brought together Federal and

Member State Officials, repre-

sentatives of civil society and

international partners to dis-

cuss women’s empowerment in

the Maritime sector.

President Farmajo signed an anti-corruption law on 21/9. EUCAP-S experts supported the law drafting process from the beginning.

COMING UP SOON

Cutlass Express will start on 25/10 in Djibouti. Somali officers from the Somali Police Force Maritime Police Unit, mentored by EUCAP-S, will join this complex international exercise, to improve maritime law enforcement capacity and pro-mote national and regional securi-ty.

On 28 September, six Mission Members of EUCAP Somalia were awarded the Common Security and Defence Policy Ser-vice Medal. In a joint ceremony with the “sister” military Mission EUTM Somalia, EUCAP Somalia’s Head of Mission, Chris Reynolds awarded the medals to the Sen-ior Political Adviser Valerie Adams, Chief

of Human Resources Unit Madalina Arge-sanu, Senior Mission Security Officer Juan Cuadrado, Chief of Staff/Acting Deputy Head of Mission Anssi Murto, Head of Planning and Evaluation Department Thomas van Kampen and Transport Officer Octavio Ramos Vieira.

EUCAP Somalia newsletter, September 2019, page 2

Security issues, too much work, too little work, high expectations… Anytime and for any reason stress can sneak up on you. Stress is your body's way of responding to any kind of demand or threat. When you sense danger, whether it's real or imagined, the body's defence system kicks in to protect you. Most of these reactions are normal and we can cope with them; we do it all the time.

But sometimes the situation becomes too much and we have a difficult time man-aging things. Difficulties in sleeping, increased tiredness, lack of appetite, nausea, stomach problems, altered behaviour, more mood swings, even aggressiveness etc. are all possible signs of stress. We are humans and we react in different ways, and our reactions may vary over time.

When is stress bad for you? There are no set standards or agreed levels for man-ageable stress, as it depends on your capacity to cope at the specific time. By us-ing some strategies, it is possible to help your coping mechanisms; exercise, medi-tation, yoga, books, painting, music, social interactions with friends or family. And listen to your body; if you are stressed, find someone you trust to talk to, use breathing techniques to relax.

If you experience signs as above, ask for help and seek professional support when necessary. And if you note such behaviour in a colleague or friend, offer to help, they may not be able to do it by themselves.

By EUCAP Somalia’s Medical Advisor

Are you stressed?

1. MACRILEX exercise onboard ITS Marceglia. 2. Head of Mission visited Mogadishu port with EUNAVFOR’s new Operation Commander Antonio Planells Palau.

EUCAP Mission Members come with lot of different skills but it might be a surprise to many that one of us is an Aerospace Engineer and a certified chef who has been working in Michelin star restaurants. While work-ing for Airbus in China, she also took the opportunity to learn Mandarin as one of her passions is learning new languages that are not Latin based. This colleague with multifaceted talents is Maria Con-ception Jimenez Serrano, commonly known as “Conchi.” She works as a Project Manager in the Pro-ject Unit providing administrative services, advice and guidance on the use of project management tools and ensures specialist functions to a project, such as planning or risk management. When need-ed, Conchi also supports the Procurement Unit. At the same time, Conchi is a humanitarian who since age of 12 has been volunteering with children with chronic diseases. While working in the UK, she studied international relations and then joined Jesuit Refugee Services in South Sudan to help refugees, for-cibly displaced migrants and vulnerable people. It was a life changing experience and although EUCAP is a different kind of Mission, Conchi is still on the same path: supporting and helping people.

EUCAP Somalia newsletter, September 2019, page 3

DID YOU KNOW ABOUT SOMALILAND?

Laas Geel, meaning ‘source of water for camels’ in Somali is a composite of rock shelters and caves, also famous for ancient cave paintings. The site, located 55km northeast of Hargeisa, overlooks a vast rural area where nomads often graze their live-stock.

The caves are filled with a constellation of brown, orange, white and red pre-historic sketches on the walls and ceiling. It is esti-mated that there are 350 animal and human representations, as well as numerous tribal marks that forms the rock art at Laas Geel. Some of the cave paintings are stunningly well preserved, others have faded due to rock degradation and the effects of weathering and erosion.

Little is known about the civilization at the time the paintings were created; scholars believe the paintings could be anywhere from 5,000 to 11,000 years old.

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LET US INTRODUCE:

Maria Concepcion Jimenez Serrano

www.eucap-som.eu eucapsom @EUCAPSOM LinkedIn

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