A group photograph of officers and participants at the opening ceremony
MILITARY OFFICERS from over 10 African countries attending a programme in Accra have been urged to be good advisors on political issues in their respective countries in the interest of peace and stability.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Political Advisor Course for Peace Support Operations in Africa on Monday at the Kofi Annan Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) in Accra, a representative from the Austrian Ministry of Defense, Guenther Barnet, advised participants to be professional in addressing the various issues that confront their countries.
“You need skills. You need professional techniques. You need manners. You need strong moral personality. You will be responsible for the things you say and for what and how you advise”, he added.
He expressed optimism that the training would provide a platform for participants to share ideas and also learn about crisis management.
Commandant at the KAIPTC, Air Vice Marshal Griffiths S. Evans disclosed that the African continent had witnessed a surge in international efforts to end wars, stabilize fragile states and rebuild war-torn societies, adding “an unprecedented number of peace operations and political missions have been deployed to deal with crisis and violent conflicts and to maintain or restore peace.”
He said the role of the political advisor in a mission is very crucial for providing the mission leadership with proper analysis of political developments, trends and emerging issues in the country or region and making recommendations on possible policies, strategies and other measures to address issues of concern.
He added that the course was being organized to formalize training of political advisors for commanders of operations and/or Heads of Missions of UN/AU/ECOWAS missions.
He further urged participants to take advantage of the course facilitators and directors to maximize the outcome of the training to put at the disposal of colleague participants and course facilitators the vast knowledge, expertise and experiences they possess from their individual organizations.
In all, 27 officers from eleven countries are expected to participate in the course which is supposed to last for two weeks.
BY Nii Adjei Mensahfio