TfP/ACCORD participated in the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Standby Force (SSF) Field Training Exercise (FTX) After Action Review (AAR) Workshop hosted by the SADC Regional Peacekeeping Training Centre (RPTC) from 11-14 October 2009 at the centre in Harare, Zimbabwe. The AAR aimed to take stock of the whole exercise to identify challenges experienced and lessons learned to inform the ongoing development of the SSF.
ACCORD contributed to the discourse on the achievements and challenges experienced by the civilian component in the execution of their roles and functions as well as issues relating to multidimensionality and integrated processes during the exercise and for the further development of the SSF. The Programme also contributed in highlighting necessary steps that should be taken by the SSF and the SADC Secretariat to further develop the civilian component of the SSF inline with the ASF roadmap and other related policies for the operationalisation of the SSF, and by extension, the African Standby Force (ASF).
The exercise brought together over 7, 000 civilian, police and military personnel from the SADC Member States (excluding Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar) to test the readiness of the SSF as part of the preparation for the operationalisation of the African Standby Force (ASF) in line with the African Union (AU) Roadmap II.
Additionally, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the SADC Council of Non-Government Organisations (C-NGO) also participated and added value to the humanitarian dimension of the exercise.
ACCORD’s role during the exercise included, but not limited to, providing support in the direction of the civilian aspect of the exercise at the Exercise Control level, assisting with the integration and multidimensional aspects of the exercise to test the multidimensional performance of the SSF as well as inter-agency liaison and coordination with the ICRC and the SADC C-NGO and to identify challenges and lessons learnt in the civilian component for the further development of the component.
The Institute for Security Studies (ISS) also participated in the exercise and provided technical support at the Exercise control level.
For further information on the course, please contact Mr. Zinurine Alghali on zinurine@accord.org.za.
