Kofi Ampeah Woode
The Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College (GAFCSC) has commenced its 2023 version of Peace Operations Course to enhance capabilities of Senior African Military Officers, to carry out their various responsibilities, in a manner consistent with rule-of-law, accountability and transparency.
The course, which opened at the military college on Monday 22 May 2023, with the Commandant, GAFCSC – Major General (Maj Gen) Irvine Ayittey Aryeetey as the Guest of Honour, seeks to equip the Senior Officers with critical understanding of peace operations as a concept and practice in the international system.
General Aryeetey in his address to the international participants, said the course will provide the appropriate platform for participants to better appreciate the nature and evolution of peace operations, in response to contemporary changing conflicts dynamics, and also expose them to command, staff to leadership challenges that participation in peace operation poses to Officers in command and staff positions.
He said the course model encompasses a range of critical topics that are crucial to the development of Officers, who would in due course, find themselves in command, staff and leadership positions.
The Commandant went on to say that the changing dynamics of armed conflicts over the last two decades require an integrated approach to peace operations, since the era of only soldiers keeping peace is over, and that the multidimensional activities and resources that are handled in peace operations theater, demand a comprehensive and coordinated approach by all relevant stakeholders.
It is therefore critical, he asserted, that all actors and stakeholders understand the challenges and opportunities available to make mission mandates successful; a mandate with activities such as stabilization operations, humanitarian relief, security sector reforms, reconstruction, economic recoveries support, governance and democratic restructuring, among others.
He concluded that peace operations currently constitute a major intervention tool for the international community, in the management of resolution of conflicts in the maintenance of peace and security, particularly in the case of the United Nations (UN), regional and sub regional organizations, within the African continent.
The two-week course module will culminate into a combine joint African exercise (CJAX) at the third week from 5 to 9 June 2023, with an aim to train the participants to acquire the practical skills needed in a joint multinational and inter agency environment, and to develop a better understanding of the challenges involved in planning peace support operations.
GAFCSC’s 2023 Peace Operations course is organized under its Master of Science Degree (MSc) in Defence and International Politics (MDIP) Course 44, with 85 Regular Students from Benin, Botswana, la Cote d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania and Togo, and additional 9 weekend students.
There are additional 13 external participants from Ghana’s governmental agencies such as National Security Ministry, Ghana Immigration Service, National Intelligence Bureau, Customs Division of Ghana Revenue Authority, Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, Multimedia Broadcasting Company, Metro Television, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development.
Present at the opening ceremony included Deputy Commandant, GAFCSC – Brigadier General Abass Seidu, Assistant Commandant – Air Commodore Eric Yirenkyi, Chief Coordinator – Colonel Maxwell Mantey, Directors, and Directing Staff.
