Armed Forces enter into partnership with USA

THE Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) and the United States of America have entered into a partnership known as African Contingency Operations Training Assistance (ACOTA) programme to enhance the capacity of the GAF to respond to peace support and humanitarian operations in peace-keeping operations.

According to a release issued and signed by the Lt Col E.W. K. Nibo, Director, Public Relations of the GAF, the ACOTA programme succeeds the African Crisis Response Initiative (ACRI).

The statement said the programme is aimed at realising within the GAF the capacity for self-sustainment, particularly in the area of ability to train its own military contingents proceeding to United Nations peace missions and other peace support activities in collaboration with ECOWAS or at the request of the Government of Ghana.

As part of the current training event, GAF has received materials to enhance training for peace support operations. The equipment include personal gear as well as unit equipment which includes communication and office supplies.

According to the statement, the programme which covers a period of 13 weeks, is taking place concurrently at the Budase Training Camp, and the Signal Training School at the Burma Camp.

The statement explained that the ACOTA programme puts considerable emphasis on training the trainer. It said selected personnel of GAF drawn from various units are undergoing training in peace-support operations.

The trained personnel, the statement said, will in turn serve as resource persons to provide training to deploying contingents for UN operations, the immediate attention being on those to be deployed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The statement said the US Ambassador to Ghana, Ms Carlin Yates, handed over the equipment and also paid a familiarisation visit to the training school.