Lohatlha - After three weeks of intensive training, the African Union’s Amani Africa II field training exercise has come to an end.
The Amani Africa II field training exercise, which was held at the Army Combat Training Centre in the Northern Cape, is seen as the final step in the operationalisation of the AU African Standby Force (ASF) and its Rapid Deployment Capability (RDC).
About 5 400 soldiers, supported by police and civilian workers, were drilled to be part of the new 25 000-strong multinational force, which will be mandated to intervene in African countries rocked by genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes without being invited once fully operational by early 2016.
When the ASF is finally operational, it will consist of standby arrangements within Africa's five sub-regions, which will be on standby in their countries of origin and ready for rapid deployment.
The five regional communities which participated in the exercise are the North African Regional Capability (NARC), East African Community (EAC), Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS).
The first week saw the AU's rapid deployment capability tested and soldiers, supported by police and civilian workers, were hard at work with the peace support operation part of the exercise scenario.
The exercise was conducted in two phases based on a scenario created in a fictitious country named the Republic of Carana.
The first scenario referred to in the exercise was Scenario 6, based on a report that the security situation in the Republic of Carana has deteriorated to an extent that the AU deemed it necessary to deploy its RDC to address the situation.
This gives the AU, acting on AU Scenario 6 and Chapter 7 of the United Nations Charter, authority to intervene by deploying the RDC of the standby force. This will then provide the AU an opportunity to exercise its Rapid Deployment Capability.
The second scenario, which was referred to as Scenario 5, was based on the report that the security situation has changed and the situation is conducive for the deployment of a traditional and multi-dimensional peacekeeping force for Peace Support Operations.
This gives the AU, acting on AU Scenario 5 and Chapter 6 of the United Nations Charter, an opportunity to evaluate the state of readiness of the ASF to undertake a peacekeeping mission.
The field training exercise will end with a closing day ceremony today, which will be attended by distinguished persons.
President Jacob Zuma is expected to attend the event and make a statement. He will be joined by several other African Heads of State and Government, including the chairperson of the African Union, President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe. - SAnews.gov.za
