Complex conflicts, complex peace overtures, says Lt-Gen Smith

Accra, June 22, GNA - Lt-Gen. John Smith (Rtd), the Minister of Defence, on Monday said the complexity in intra-state conflicts and warfare in modern times demanded complex peace overtures. "The nature of intra-state conflicts has necessitated a change from the traditional peacekeeping to a new generation of multidisciplinary, integrated and multidimensional peace support operations," he said Gen. Smith said this at the opening in Accra of a two-week Integrated Peace Support Operations (IPSO) course organised by the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC). This is the first time the government of Ghana has funded the course which the British government had been the sole financier in the past.

Participants were drawn from 13 countries including officers and men from the armed forces and civilians. He said the multi-dimensional peace support operation was designed to incorporate different players and stakeholders not involved in traditional peacekeeping.

"Missions are no longer mounted solely by the military but require support from all components such as police, gendarmerie, diplomats, NGOs and the civil society," he said.

He said the present trend of peace operations according to him needed a cadre of leaders and staff with the expertise to plan and direct missions in future. Lt-Gen Smith said peace support operations was necessary in order to secure peace and stability and called on the African countries to contribute to peacekeeping force not only on the continent but throughout the world. "My own country Ghana has been in the forefront of contributing troops for the past four decades and the seventh troop contributor in the world," he said.

Air-Vice Marshall C.E.K. Dovlo, Commandant of the KAIPTC, said the programme would cover not only operational level planning but also coordination and conduct of peace support operations to make all personnel deployed effective. He said the programme would also demonstrate the usage of military planning tools in mounting joint military operations and focus on various components of the UN missions including civil/ military coordination, disarmament, demobilization, reintegration and negotiations.

Mr Chris Kpodo, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Paul Tawiah Quaye, the Inspector General of Police and some senior military officers were among those present.

Two chiefs die in a motor accident at Kaleo

Wa, June 22, GNA - Two chiefs from the Nadowli District died when they ran their motorbike onto a stationary articulated truck at a Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) barrier at Kaleo on Saturday. The police gave the names of the two chiefs as Naa James B. Mombo 65, who was riding the motorbike and Naa Biengu Wieto II, 85, the pillion rider. Deputy Superintendent of Police John Ferguson Dzineku, Regional Police Motor, Traffic and Transport unit (MTTU), told the GNA in an interview that the police had also arrested some youth in Kaleo for allegedly vandalizing the CEPS barrier and property. He said the incident happened when the two deceased chiefs were travelling on a motorbike from Kaleo to Wa on Saturday evening. At the barrier, the CEPS officials were also searching an articulated truck that was carrying cashew nuts and all of a sudden the two deceased chiefs run into the rear of the truck with their motorbike. Mr Dzineku said when the youth of the town heard of the death of their chiefs, they mobilized themselves to the barrier where they vandalized the temporal rooms and tents that accommodated the CEPS officials over the years.