July 17, 2017 TnH Global

India, US to train African peacekeeping military personnel in trilateral cooperation initiative

In a trilateral cooperation initiative, India and the US will conduct a training programme for military personnel from African nations, who in turn will instruct peacekeeping forces in their respective countries, a senior Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) official said on Sunday.

The two-week course, starting on Monday, will see senior military officers from 34 African nations participating in the training session, said Rudendra Tandon, joint secretary in the MEA. These military officers will in turn train personnel in their respective countries. This is the second year that India has organised such a training session for the African nations, which includes countries like Ghana, Malawi, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone.

“The programme is in sync with what Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at the United Nations General Assembly in 2015, it is to share our rich experience in the peacekeeping missions,” Tandon said.

He noted that the training programme is also a part of the military collaboration between India and the US. India is one of the major contributors to the United Nations Peacekeeping Force (UNPK) and a sizable chunk of its troops are deployed in conflict-hit countries like Congo and South Sudan.

The Indian Army also has a dedicated training programme for its soldiers before they embark on a peacekeeping mission.

News Source: PTI