Following the Southern African Development Community’s (SADC) attainment of Full Operational Capability (FOC) through the conduct of the Continental Field Training Exercise (FTX) AMANI AFRICA 11 in October and November 2015, the African Union (AU) was able to confidently approve the implementation of its regional standby roaster system. SADC goes on standby on 01 January 2019 for a period of six months and in preparation for that role, the region has planned a Command Post Exercise (CPX). The CPX will test the capacity of the SADC Standby Force (SSF) to plan and deploy a functional and effective Tactical Headquarters.
Planning meetings have been held with the current Scenario Development Workshop, being the second in a series of preparatory meetings that will culminate in the conduct of the CPX from 01 October 2018 at Salima, Malawi. This workshop worked through the week to improve the exercise scenario and narrative that had been initiated during the first planning meeting held at Salima, in Malawi in December 2017. The workshop was attended by forty three (38) participants including Secretariat Secretariat PLANELM staff members. In attendance were SADC Member States Civilian, Military and Police component exercise planning personnel that included the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and The African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD) representing the Civil Society members to constitute the full complement of the planning team for Exercise UMODZI.
Participation in such activities is in line with the TfP Programme’s strategic goal of supporting efforts at strengthening the AUC and regional capacity and capability to plan, manage and implement peace support operations on the continent through the enhancement of the ASF capacities. This initiative also seeks to contribute to improved sustainable capacity for the conduct of peace operations on the continent through ensuring effective functioning of organizational systems in the AU/RECs/RMs.
The Training for Peace Programme at ACCORD is an initiative funded by the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
ACCORD was represented by Brig. Gen. James Machakaire, Coordinator, Peacekeeping Unit, Mr. Kitenge Tunda, Programme Officer, Peacekeeping Unit and Ms. Precious Ngcobo, Programme Administrator Peacekeeping Unit.
