On Wednesday 16 December 2015, a warrant officer of the Luxembourg army returned home to the Grnd Duchy after six months service for the "Resolute Support" mission in Afghanistan.
In May 2012, at the Chicago summit, the heads of NATO state and government decided to continue assistance to Afghanistan after the end of the mission of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan on 31 December 2014. The concept of operation of the "Resolute Support" mission was approved by the Ministers of Defence of NATO at their meeting on 5 June 2013 and the Operation Plan by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs on 25 June 2014. The SOFA (Status of Forces Agreement) governing the legal status of staff participating in "Resolute Support" was signed between Afghanistan and NATO on 30 September 2014.
From 2015, NATO has changed the nature and scope of its action in Afghanistan. Its commitment is maintained through three parallel axes, accompanied by different time-lines:
- Short-term, a mission to provide training, advice and assistance to Afghan security forces. Professional security forces, and sustainable performance will indeed be essential in the post-ISAF period. The training will be designed at national and institutional levels and the higher command of the army and police levels;
- Medium-term financial support to Afghan security forces through the NATO Trust Fund dedicated to supporting reform and strengthening of the Afghan National Army (ANA);
- Long-term cooperation in the framework of a lasting partnership between NATO and Afghanistan.
Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) include the ANA, the Afghan Air Force (AAF) and the Afghan National Police (ANP) and the Afghan Local Police, the Afghan intelligence agency and the Directorate National Security (NDS).
The new mission is called "Resolute Support" and started on 1 January 2015.
The "non-combatant" mission is conducted on the entire territory of Afghanistan. The geographical distribution is based on five strategic centres, each of which is under the responsibility of a nation framework: Germany to the north, Italy to the west, Turkey in the centere and the United States to the east and south.
In terms of numbers, the initial force has a maximum of 12,700 people.
Luxembourg's proposed participation in this new mission is a continuation of the Luxembourg commitment to support Afghanistan's stabilisation process. It is also an act of solidarity with the other members of the Alliance since almost all of the member countries and a significant number of partner countries have announced their support for the mission.
The officer has fulfilled a function of assistant deputy officer platoon leader of the multinational unit EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) at Camp Marmal, Mazar-i-Sharif.
The Luxembourg army is now also present in Kosovo (KFOR) and the Republic of Mali (EUTM Mali).
