Army to Participate in Peacekeeping Exercise

The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), is to take part in a ten-nation peacekeeping training exercise code named "Exercise Cohesion Kozah 2001" from April 18 to 24. The exercise which will be jointly held at Yendi in Ghana and Kara in Togo will involve troops from Togo, Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Cote D'Ivoire, Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Senegal.

A statement issued in Accra by the Public Relations Directorate of the Armed Forces and signed by Lieutenant Colonel E. Awuah, Deputy Director said the exercise would involve movement of troops in some parts of Northern Ghana particularly in the areas around Yendi. It said the multi-national exercise, which would be supported technically by France, would involve land, sea and air manoeuvres.

The objective of the exercise is to develop regional co-operation in peacekeeping, consolidate the relations of friendship, which unite the countries in the sub region and affirm the political will to contribute to international peacekeeping and safeguard human rights.

The statement said the donors aim at supporting the exercise to strengthen the bond that unites countries in the sub region by providing technical assistance in personnel and equipment.

It said the exercise fits into the sub regional framework in the pursuit of training in peacekeeping and humanitarian activities. A similar exercise held in Togo in 1998 was code-named "Ex Cohesion Kompienga."