Kirsi Henriksson appointed Head of the EU civilian crisis management mission in Niger

Press release 139/2016
26 July 2016

The European Union has appointed Kirsi Henriksson, M.A., to the position of Head of the European Union EUCAP Sahel Niger civilian crisis management mission starting from 1 September 2016.

The main task of the EUCAP mission, established in summer 2012, is to train Niger's security forces staff. Armed forces will be trained to improve police procedures and the legal basis of activities, also in view of action against terrorism. To meet the problems posed by migration, the mandate of the mission was extended in the beginning of 2016 by establishing a satellite office in Agadez to support the mission conducted in the capital Niamey. The aim is to train local authorities in the fight against migrant smuggling. Agadez is considered one of the major regional transit hubs for irregular migration.

Henriksson has extensive experience in crisis management tasks. Currently she serves as Deputy Head of the European Union EUCAP Sahel Mali civilian crisis management mission. She has also worked in the EU’s EUBAM Libya border control mission and the EUJUST LEX-Iraq mission. Earlier, Henriksson was the director of Crisis Management Centre Finland. She has also worked as researcher and lecturer at the University of Tampere and Tampere Peace Research Institute.

One of Finland's key objectives is to increase the share of women in crisis management and related management roles. The share of Finnish women participating in the EU's crisis management duties in about 40 per cent, which is relatively high in comparison to the EU average of 20 per cent.

Inquiries: Timo Kantola, Deputy Director General, Political Department, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, tel. +358 295 351 477.

Link to the factsheet on EUCAP SAHEL Niger: Factsheet on EUCAP SAHEL Niger

The Foreign Ministry's email addresses are in the format [email protected].