Free Press - lundi 24 mai 2004
POLITICO-MILITARY SEMINAR OPENS TODAY
A joint politico-military seminar dubbed "RECAMP" organized by France
and Ghana begins today in Accra.
The seminar, which will focus on security in Africa, is said to be
in the first stage of planning operations, which will lead to the
organization of a joint military exercise in Benin at the end of the
year.
Briefing the press last Friday in Accra Lt. Col. Jerome Salle of the
French military HQ said the seminar would be in two phases, the
political aspect and a purely technical military aspect.
He said the purpose of the "RECAMP" concept initiated by France at
the end of the 1990s is to facilitate and support the self-engagement
of the African countries in peacekeeping operations.
Lt. Col. Ankomah Danso of the Ghana Armed Forces Public Affairs
Directorate on her part said "RECAMP" has become necessary due to the
fact that almost the whole of West Africa is burning in conflict and
there is the need to have a task force of the sub-region ready to
combat any eventually.
She said the programme will strengthen the military reinforcement
capacity of the sub-region and reduce the over reliance on UN and
other international peace keeping bodies for conflict
resolution.
She explained that wars have no respect for language or geographical
location; hence all the ECOWAS countries need to train together to
enable them have a force capable of resolving conflicts that may
occur in the sub-region.
Asked if the force will come to replace ECOWAS, Lt. Col. Ankomah
Danso said it would not be disbanded but it will be working under the
United Nations since ECOWAS is too poor to maintain a force.
According to the press statement issued by the organizers the first
phase of the seminar beginning from Monday to Wednesday 26 May hopes
to bring together diplomats and senior military personnel of about
forty countries representatives of the main international
organizations among which the member countries of the European Union
and the Security Council as well as the representatives of the main
non-governmental organizations.
The deliberations would be centred on two main objectives named
management of crisis and the strategy to adopt to stop the crisis and
would offer the participants an opportunity to exchange ideas and
reflect on their participation in peace keeping operations.
The second part of the seminar it is noted would be for the military
personnel to plan the operations, which will be used as a base for
the Benin 2004 exercise.