Military communications conference opens

Accra, April 17, GNA - Some 100 military communications experts have gathered in Accra to conclude a workable command, control, communication and information architecture to support the African Union's Standby Force concept.

The four-day Accra conference, which opened at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping and Training Centre (KAIPTC) in Accra on Tuesday, will finalise plans for "Exercise Africa Endeavour 2007" due to take place in South Africa in July 2007.

Africa Endeavour 2007 (AE-07) is a workshop to demonstrate interoperable communications and information systems equipment and techniques considered useful for peace support and military operations both regionally on the continent.

The aim is to encourage information sharing in African nations by their own Command, Control, Communications and Information Systems (C3IS) and assist in their efforts to develop partnership and expansive links with Africa Union member nations, the US, NATO, partner nations and organisations that share common stability and security goals for the African continent.

Experts on the AE-07 project would work towards establishing a test network that would provide vital communication link from the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa to regional economic community planning elements, with termination at African Standby Force brigade elements. Major-General John Attipoe, Commandant of KAIPTC, who opened the conference, lauded the initiative to tackle the security issues confronting the continent through a unified approach. "The current global security challenge requires a unified response and the African Union should also use a unifie d response to tackle the various security threats on the continent."

Maj. Gen. Attipoe emphasized that the effective and efficient interoperability of C3IS within and between the continent's regional groupings was the key to the success of all operations that would be conducted by the AU.

He implored the participants to dedicate their efforts to achieve the set goal in other to enable Africa to lay the necessary foundation for peace and stability.

The US European Command is funding the Accra conference. Participants are drawn from more that 24 African countries as well as representatives from other nations outside the continent, regional/sub-regional organisations, the Joint Interoperability Training Centre and the Defence Information Systems Agency in the US. AE-07 is seen as the most powerful security cooperation effort of its kind in Africa. 17 April 07