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Where the enhancement of security capabilities amongst Africans will be discussed, as a preparation for coming military exercises in Cameroon, in November 2006. The meeting, which will be attended by 25 military and civilian officials, is considered as part of the preparation to build, as from 2010, an intervention force to be used in crisis. The meeting’s works will be led by the president of Congo, the current president of the African Union, Denis Sassou Nguessou, along with the Algerian diplomat Said Djenit, the responsible of security affairs in the African Union, and under the patronage of the command of the military general staff, the party behind the initiative of the “strengthening of Africa’s capabilities in peace keeping”. The project was launched by the French and became a road map for periodic meetings discussing European security matters, amongst them the meeting that will be held next Monday and which will last till May 20. Diplomatic sources showed that France, through initiative and aid to build intervention force, is trying to get rid of the burden of the direct intervention in its influence area in Africa, in case of security crisis, preferring to perform a diplomatic role. The same sources made it clear that the participants in the meeting “will discuss the reinforcement of political and military capabilities of African countries and organisations, in a way that allows them to design and lead security keeping actions, like the facing of terrorist operations, conflicts and wars. The launch of first experiences in Cameroon, where exercises will be led in partnership between France and Africa, is to be done. The French defence ministry promised to back up a programme for training and the equipment of African forces that are in charge of peace keeping mission. According to French sources, the ministry prefers the involvement of other Europeans in the initiative. The mixed African force that the African Union wants to form will be made up of 1800 men who will benefit from military training and on-field exercises under the patronage of France. H Y. — EL-Khabar | ||||||||||||||||||
Algeria presides an African security meeting in Brazzaville