By the end of 2023, the number of Belgian soldiers abroad should reach 1,000 soldiers, said Defence Minister Ludivine Dedonder on Wednesday. While there are many areas of interest, "Helping the Nation" (in Belgium) remains an operational priority.
The areas where the Belgian army will be deployed have been decided based on the three D's: defence, diplomacy and development.
The war in Ukraine will continue to see the concentration of efforts, including the presence of F-16s over the Baltic States from Lithuania where Belgium will continue its involvement in the German Enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group. From July, 240 soldiers will be deployed to Romania for a one-year mission at the gateway of Ukraine.
Troops will also be deployed in Eastern Europe and Africa.
Credit: Dirk Waem / Belga
"Belgium will continue to support the European Training Mission for the Malian armed forces, EUTM Mali," explained Colonel Maenhoudt, in charge of operations planning. Belgium will also maintain its participation in the UN mission in Mali (MINUSMA) while contributing to other NATO, EU and UN missions.
Bilateral missions
Around the Sahel, Belgium has developed a bilateral mission with Niger. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Belgium will remain involved in MONUSCO and is also undertaking a bilateral mission from Kindu where Belgian troops will mainly train and retrain local units.
The minister emphasised that the aim of "security crisis management" is to "deal with security threats such as international terrorism, piracy, human trafficking and international crime."
Tweet translation: "Presentation of the 2023 Operations Plan. In 2023, @BelgiumDefence is pursuing its international commitments and remains a reliable partner within #EU, #NATO and #UN . At the national level, Defense remains ready to provide support in the event of a crisis."
Before they ensure a presence beyond the borders, the Belgian army must assume its internal missions, and "Helping the Nation" remains an operational priority. After the floods of July 2021, a protection company called PROTER was created which "is ready as a rapid intervention capability, in coordination with the provincial military commands, the civil authorities and the police."
All of the stipulated objectives are part of the budget allocated last March by the government which saw an additional €1 billion committed of which €450 million was invested this year and €250 million to be invested in 2023 and 2024. "This extra billion has allowed a series of purchases (such as stock and ammunition) so that our personnel are equipped for immediate deployment."
