Antje Pittelkau is in charge of the EU mission in the Sahel. The 54-year-old police officer was born in Freiburg, Germany. She worked in Berlin for several years, served for four years in Afghanistan and arrived in Niger in 2018 for the EU Capacity Building Mission in Niger. The EUCAP Sahel Niger mission supports security. It is part of the European Union's Common Security and Defence Policy. Pittelkau advocates building ties with Nigeriens. The EUCAP chief wants to focus on building confidence. She says Niger's forces have an interest in transparency and including the population in matters of security.