The Chief of Defense Staff, General Claudio Graziano, telephoned the Italian soldier this morning, who was slightly and accidentally wounded by a relapse shot coming from outside the base, yesterday evening in Somalia, because he wanted to personally make sure of his health conditions.
During the phone call, the soldier said he was fine - so much so that he had already been discharged from the base's field hospital - and, after briefly telling the story, he assured that he had already heard from his family, who had been warned anyway. promptly yesterday, immediately after the incident. General Graziano then expressed his wishes for a speedy recovery, also in the name of the great family of the armed forces, making him prevent the numerous messages of affection and closeness that have arrived from many compatriots.
As already communicated yesterday evening, through a press release from the defense staff, the Italian soldier, who is operating in Somalia as part of the European training mission of the Somali Local Forces (EUTM-S), was inside the compound when a relapse stroke accidentally hit him. Outside the base, at that moment, a demonstration for the election of the new president was underway and several armed people, in the crowd, took to celebrate by firing some shots in the air.
The relapse shot that reached the military, fortunately with low residual kinetic speed, stopped intramuscularly, in correspondence with the right pectoral, without reaching any internal organ. The soldier, who was always conscious, was promptly rescued by his fellow soldiers and, transported to the base's field hospital, underwent, with positive results, a minor surgery to remove the blow.
The EUTM SOMALIA mission, launched in the 2010, is part of the European strategy for the Horn of Africa. The European Union, in cooperation with other international partners, contributes to the development of institutions in charge of the security sector in Somalia.
The mission made it possible to improve safety and living conditions in Mogadishu and other parts of the country, thanks to the training of the Somali security forces at the Bihanga Training Camp (BTC) in Uganda.
The European Union, from the 2013, also provides advice, at political and strategic level, to the Somali authorities in the area of security institutions (ministry of defense and the general staff) and support and consultancy in the field of Security Sector Reform.
Since February 2014 the mission of the Mission has been entrusted to an Italian general. From 21 March 2016 the commander of the European Union Training Mission is Brigadier General Maurizio Morena.
