Kofi Ampeah Woode
The pioneer Commander, Army Peace Operations Training School (APOTS) – Colonel (Col) Clement Kojo Dingane, has handed over command of the United Nations (UN) certified peace support operations (PSO) Training Centre, after three years, four months of leadership.
The Handing/Taking Over ceremony was held on Friday 29 November 2024, at the Battle Training Camp (BTC), Bundase, Headquarters, APOTS, where the Commander, Army Training Command (ATRAC) – Brigadier General (Brig Gen) Stephen Woseadzikpo Kweku Parbey, supervised the transfer of authority to the new Commander, APOTS – Col Ruben Dela Klutse.
Although the BTC, Bundase is as old as Ghana’s participation in international peacekeeping operations, APOTS was established on June 2021, with a mission to plan, organize and conduct training for personnel earmarked for deployment on international peace operations.
It was also to undertake related activities involving allied and foreign military personnel – an additional charge to Col CK Dingane, by Lieutenant General Thomas Oppong-Peprah – Chief of the Defence Staff, Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), when he was the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS).
The General tasked Col CK Dingane to lead APOTS to gain UN Training Recognition by having all Pre-deployment Modules Certified; and ensuring that APOTS becomes a Centre of Excellence for training at the Tactical Level;
He was also to ensure that every Soldier who completes Pre-Deployment Training (PDT) is issued with a certificate, and to develop UN related courses that can attract participants from the West African sub-region, which could be sponsored by Ghana Army Training Partners.
Col Dingane’s call to duty commenced with Unit identification – APOTS’ logo and other paraphernalia: Colours of Blue, White and Green; the Adinkra symbol ‘MPATAPO’ representing peacekeeping and pacification; flag, lanyard, and mantra of ‘Training for Peace’.
He led his command to acquire the UN Training Recognition on 11 February 2023, and then developed United Nations PSO related short courses, and capacity building of Instructors for Mobile Training within Ghana, and extended to the neighbouring countries.
Since its establishment, APOTS has trained 7,002 personnel (875 representing 12.5% are females), deploying them on various peace operations, and collaborating with the following training partners to conduct courses for GAF personnel and sister countries:
1) British Peace Support Training Africa (BPST-A) – Gender in PSO Course for 30 participants, with 2 participants each from Liberia and Sierra Leone; and Foundational Engagement Teams Course for 90 personnel of United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) Ghanaian Battalion 91 (GH 91);
Additionally, there was the 2) Global Peace Operations Initiative (GPOI) – Advance Tactical Course for 30 GAF personnel; and 3) Dallaire Institute of Canada – Child Protection Course for 15 GAF, and 15 Ghana Police Service personnel.
During Col Dingane’s tenure, APOTS-financed infrastructure included the following: 1) Instructors’ Dining Hall/Kitchen and Storeroom; 2) APOTS Sachet Water Factory; 3) 900-capacity Social Centre which has Post Exchange, Canteen and Entertainment area; 4) Construction of two boreholes connecting them to eight 10,000-liter plastic water reservoirs;
Others include 5) Purchase of one tricycle for water distribution within the camp; 6) APOTS Farms – 5-acre mango farm, 7-acre coconut farm, 6-acre maize farm, 12-acre tomato farm, 1-acre pepper farm, and 3-acre okra farm; 7) renovated two 100-capacity accommodation blocks for Soldiers; and 8) the Main Gate Signpost.
With seed money input of One Hundred Thousand Cedis by the COAS, Ghana Army – Major General (Maj Gen) Bismarck Kwasi Onwona, APOTS has commenced the construction of a 1000-sitter multipurpose Mess that would contain a kitchen and dining hall.
Below are Infrastructural Support Provided by Various Commanding Officers of Traveling Ghanaian Battalions;
I) UNIFIL GH 89 constructed one 100-capacity Lecture Hall; II) UNIFIL GH 90 donated full set band instrument, and constructed one 100-capacity Lecture Hall; III) Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Stabilization Support Mission in Guinea-Bissau (ESSMGB) Ghanaian Company 4 (GHANCOY 4), constructed a Volleyball Court;
IV) ECOWAS Mission in Gambia (ECOMIG) GH 9 constructed a Basketball Court; V) UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) GH 11 upgraded the Bundase Rapid Assistance Point (RAP) to Health Centre; VI) UNMISS GH 12 and UNIFIL GH 91 renovated two washrooms with modern fittings; VII) UN Interim Security Force in Abyei (UNISFA) GH 2 renovated a 100-bed accommodation.
Contemporary peace operations have evolved to the extent that Troop Contributing Countries (TCCs) are required by the UN, the African Union, and ECOWAS, to meet certain criteria and standards of training, before being inserted into any theatre of operation.
APOTS have now synchronized GAF PSO training manuals with UN Integrated Training Service training materials – Core PDT Materials (CPTM), Specialized Training Materials (STM), and Reinforcement Training Packages (RTP).
Col CK Dingane is now designated the Chief Coordinator, Support Services Command, GAF.
By Kofi Ampeah-Woode
