Journal of the Spanish Institute for Strategic Studies Núm. 12 / 2018 Revista del Instituto Español de Estudios Estratégicos n.º 12 - Año: 2018 - Págs.: 325 a 366 358 tary contingent for crisis response on the African Continent of up to 6,600 troops and 26 aircraft with scope for reinforcements in case of emergency87. Traditionally, Spain has participated with special operation troops of the Armed Forces and the Guardia Civil, in addition to aircraft, during the above-mentioned Exercise Flintlock88. As of 2018, it contributes units of the Special Naval War Force of the Spanish Navy. At the end of 2016 and as part of the EU strategy for the Sahel, the project “Ra-pid Action Groups - Monitoring and Intervention in the Sahel” (GAR-SI Sahel) was approved. Led by the Guardia Civil, it is a consortium including Italian Carabinieri, French Gendarmerie and the Guarda Nacional Republicana of Portugal. The main objective is to create six rapid action units (similar to the GAR of the Guardia Civil) inside the Gendarmerie forces of the G5 countries. The initial budget is 42 million euros, financed by the Emergency Trust Fund of the European Commission. The presentation in the Spanish Congress of the Strategic Revision of Defence in December 2002 entailed the introduction of the concept of “defence diplomacy”, set out in July 2011 in the “Plan for Defence Diplomacy”. This lists the activities based on cooperation and dialogue that the Ministry of Defence undertakes bilaterally with member and allied states, aimed at preventing conflicts and at capacity building in the area of security. In this context, based on the National Security Strategy 2013 and as part of what has come to be called “cooperative security operations” (OSC)”89, different military collaboration initiatives have taken place with West African countries such as Cape Verde90, Mauritania, Gabon, Ghana and Senegal, Burkina Faso and recently Tunisia. The new National Security Strategy 201791 defines sub-Saharan Africa as “an arc that concentrates cross-border challenges and threats of an interrelated nature, in addition to relevant economic and energetic interests”. With regard to the Sahel, it states that 87 AFRICOM. “EEUU tendrá un máximo de 6.600 militares en España con el nuevo convenio. (2015, June 1). “The Diplomat”. On http://thediplomatinspain.com/eeuu-tendra-un-maximo-de-6- 600-militares-en-espana-con-el-nuevo-convenio/. Date of reference 29/03/18. 88 “La Fuerza de Guerra Naval Especial de la Armada participa en el ejercicio “Flintlock” en Mauritania”. On http://www.armada.mde.es/ArmadaPortal/page/Portal/ArmadaEspannola/conocenosnoticias/prefLang-es/ 00noticias--2017--03--NT-051-finaliza-ejercicio-fintlock-es;jsessionid=gpWXh60BvsD1XXGyNZ66WzJ 7FK2cJcPdLT1F3174HFWF21grXz1D!-1794688207?_selectedNodeID=2963147&_pageAction=selectItem. Date of reference 06/04/18. 89 “Seguridad Cooperativa en Senegal”. On http://www.defensa.gob.es/misiones/en_exterior/ actuales/listado/seguridad-cooperativa-senegal.html. Fecha de consulta 06.04.18. 90 “Cooperación en el Golfo de Guinea”. On http://www.defensa.gob.es/misiones/en_exterior/ actuales/listado/diplomacia-defensa.html. Fecha de consulta 29.03.18. 91 ESN 2017. P. 48. On http://www.lamoncloa.gob.es/serviciosdeprensa/notasprensa/presidenciadelgobierno/ Documents/2017-1824_Estrategia_de_Seguridad_Nacional_ESN_doble_pag.pdf. Fecha de consulta 29.03.18.
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