CDS visits US Africa Command in Germany

Accra, June 31, GNA - The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), Lieutenant General Peter Augustine Blay, has paid a five-day official visit to the headquarters of United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) inStuttgart,

Germany. The visit from May 2-6, which was at the instance of AFRICOM, was to enable the CDS to attend training and logistics conference to consider the assistance

AFRICOM could extend to GAF. A statement issued by the GAF Public Relations Directorate in Accra on Tuesday said the US military had a long history of cooperation with GAF. "This is centred around training and logistics support for the professional

development and training of personnel of GAF. "It is therefore in the spirit of this cooperation and in furtheranc= e of the cordial relations that already existed between the US and GAF that the CDS attended the conference," the statement added.

The statement said at the end of the visit, AFRICOM pledged to provide training and logistics support valued at several millions of dollars for GAF between 2011 and 2013. The support pledged included provision of vehicles, communication equipment, road construction at Bundase Training Camp, repairs of naval boats as well as humanitarian assistance in some communities.

The CDS was accompanied by Deputy Director General in-charge of Training at the General Headquarters, Directors of Training of the three services, his Military

Assistant and Aide-de-Camp. The CDS and his team have since returned home.