Page 36 - CoESPU Magazine 2017-3

three working groups, conducted discussions and developed shareable and sustainable answers to
the different issues related to transitional AMISOM control to a Somali – led mission.
Two Carabinieri officers took part in the exercise: Lieutenant Colonel Paolo Di Piazza, on behalf
of COESPU, and the Battalion Commander of the Gorizia-based 13° Carabinieri Regiment “Friuli
Venezia Giulia”, Lieutenant Colonel Andrea Azzolini. Both officers served as observers/mentors in
one of the three Teams.
This kind of exercises
provides organizations,
countries as well as
personnel with different
backgrounds and cultures
with a forum to work
together to achieve the
same goal, sharing
instruments and
strategies. Furthermore,
the exercises offer the
opportunity to bring all
the parties involved -
military, police and
civilian components U.S. Army BG Jon Jensen, Deputy Commanding General United States Army
known to have different Africa and LTC Paolo Di Piazza, CoESPU PSO&CM Chair
organizational structures, projects and deadlines – to joint multi-dimensional peace operations.
As far as COESPU is concerned, it must be said that it is a very important partnership between Italy
and US in supporting African partners. COESPU Deputy Director is an US ARMY Colonel whose
mission is to assist the training of police forces in stability and policing operations. Agreements
signed by Italy and the U.S. Department of State make resources needed by COESPU available to
support the cost of GPOI (Global Peace Operation Initiative) training. If we consider that the
contents of the report presented to the Secretary-General on 16 June 2015 by the High-Level
Independent Panel on Peace Operations maintained that: “62.5 percent of UN peace operations and
87 percent of all uniformed UN peacekeepers are in Africa, whilst more than 80 percent of the
annual peacekeeping budget is spent on missions in Africa”, it follows that COESPU participation
in exercises like JA17 is very important because trainees at GPOI courses come to a very large
extent from Africa.
In one of the JA17 meetings it was underscored that it is of vital importance for a Commander to be
able to convey to all the parties involved his own vision of a mission, of its purposes and goals.
It goes without saying that doctrine is a fundamental set of principles providing policies and
procedures that guide military forces and Police in the accomplishment of a mission. Let us
consider, for example, the planning process meant as identification of strategic goals on the basis of
political choices, supported by operational objectives which will in turn be linked and supported by
more detailed tactical objectives. It is important for the effectiveness of a mission as well as the
prevention of overlapping of different actions, although it is no absolute guarantee of success.

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