A life as a peacekeeper: Andrea Angeli tells his story

(To Enrico Baviera)
27/05/16

When I think of an international official who has spent most of his career abroad, the image that comes naturally to me is just what I have in front of me: a dry body, a grizzled and soft hair, a lively and direct eloquence, what to say, for that ancient respect due to the function performed; for that clear awareness of the role played, exquisitely technical, never political.

Andrea Angeli, from Macerata, for 30 years a spokesman with the UN and the EU, and with a parenthesis as a political advisor to the head of mission in Kabul, worked in Chile, Cambodia, Sarajevo, Mostar, Kosovo, Nassiriya, Kabul.

Roles with which he has experienced international crises in recent years, knowing closely the main protagonists of our diplomacy.

Angels, a globe trotter life around the world and today in Bologna to talk about a book.

It is a book that comes out tomorrow for Rubettino, the title is "Kabul Rome return" (via Delhi).

A title - if we want - complex. A book that starts with a return to Kosovo, after many years, with a somewhat special mission leader, who is the Italian Ambassador Lamberto Zannier, who then becomes a surprise, but not for those who knew him well, Secretary General of the 'OSCE.

Then there is the return to Afghanistan, but it does not last long, under the guidance of Staffan de Mistura, which then becomes, even to him by surprise, the under-secretary of the technical government of Mario Monti.

The second chapter tells a little about the peculiarities of the arrival of an "onusiano", as those defined by the UN are defined (Staffan had worked there for 42 years) and his landing at the Farnesina (it had never happened that Foreign Ministry summits reached a UN official) and all that this entailed.

An arrival that then spread to the Marò case (treated from p. 82 on page 160 ed) which broke out less than two months after the inauguration of de Mistura; (the book describes) a chronology, starting from the 6 ° day from happening - (when De Mistura is actually in charge of following in person the story "to get them out") -, which serves to make clear some points , fix the posts for those who want to understand more about each other.

It is a book that wants to clarify, without expressing however particular evaluations that I leave to the reader.

And then it ends with a chapter entitled: POLAD profession.

Which is the "political advisor", the civil consultant who is included in some particular missions.

A life spent in different theaters operating abroad, which allowed you to see our soldiers at work. Is there in your memory a situation or a face, which fully render the true meaning of their work away from Italy?

The first soldier I saw on a mission was a young Tuscania carabiniere whom I met as soon as I set foot in the Namibian capital: it was little more than 20 years. I had a blue suit because I came from the Baghdad headquarters, and he gave me some military trousers that I used 7 months.

The last one I saw in the theater in Afghanistan, just before I boarded the plane was instead the general commander of the Arma, General Tullio Del Sette.

And this parallel between the first you meet, a young carabiniere, and the one that greeted shortly before ending what could be the last mission, that is the General Commander, makes me think a little.

And the other analogy, which made me a little 'species, connect it to the journey to the airport to leave, perhaps for the last time, Afghanistan; he passed me over, giving a wing-shaped, A 129 Mangusta (the helicopter for exploration and escort of the EI, ed), piloted by a lieutenant colonel of the Vega di Rimini (the 7 ° Aviation Army Regiment ed), Luca Giannini, who greeted me with his arm from the door; and I thought at that moment when I would ever be greeted like that.

Even in this case the analogy I take it all: because in addition to the carabinieri who were doing military police activities, in what was my first mission, in Namibia, ran the year 1989, there were mainly helicopters, commanded by Antonio Lattanzio.

Making a comparison between the Italian military you saw working abroad at the beginning of your career and those during your last mission, known differences?

We have gone from romantic missions, made of many hopes; it was thought that crises could be solved easily, there were conscripts, I remember a lot of enthusiasm, a few missions with a feasible mandate.

Since then the bar has risen; the crises have become deeper, have required the sending of more soldiers, but not always their number on the ground implies success.

The professional growth of our FF.AA has been enormous.

The current generals have been around since captains. All very positive, as long as the limit beyond which we are guilty of presumption is not exceeded.

We have to keep our feet on the ground. Humility must remain the key to success.

Do you notice a difference in how the population today perceives the Armed Forces?

It is not that in the past Italian public opinion has generally expressed opposition to missions abroad, especially when they did not last long.

It is precisely the long duration of the interventions not to be accepted, especially if the general economic situation and the internal situation of the country do not help to make it digest.

At the moment are your other departures planned?

I am close to the 60, the age in which the UN places all those who entered before the 90 to rest.

I'm evaluating what to do in my near future: I have the right experience, still many projects, maybe with other international organizations. We'll see.