by Yacinthe Diene, Senegal, 15 January 1998
THEME = PEACE
Armies at the service of peace and stability in West Africa and in other parts of Africa
The combined Franco-African manoeuvres, code named "Guidimakha", scheduled for 17 February-1 April 1998, will conclude with a military parade at Bakel (Senegal). The operational planning for the whole exercise is being carried out by Brigadier General Mountaga Diallo (Senegal), Admiral Dupuy Montbrun (France) and Colonels Seydou Traore (Mali) and Sidi Ould Mohammed Yahya (Mauritania). Already the French forces at Dakar have received a large stock of material and equipment destined for the African Intervention Force.
The theatre of operations of the international manoeuvres, will be the historic province of Guidimakha, situated at the confluence of the borders of Senegal, Mauritania and Mali. The following is a possible scenario, justifying the use of an African Intervention Force: Imagine a small country, controlled partly by a democratically elected government and partly by an armed opposition movement. There is a severe drought coupled with disruption of the economy and administration. This results in a massive displacement of the population. The United Nations has negotiated a ceasefire but certain armed groups, completely out of control, continue to disrupt life around the capital. In this context, an intervention force is needed to organise relief efforts, protect the people and escort humanitarian convoys. Three countries form a buffer force under the sponsorship of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU).
This fictitious scenario is a reflection of real situations in Africa, where some states are exhausted because certain political elements prefer to acquire power by force of arms rather than at the ballot box. Since the beginning of the 1990s, there have been bloody confrontations between rival groups particularly in Somalia, Rwanda, Burundi, Congo-Brazzaville, former Zaire (now Congo RDC) and recently, in Sierra Leone. Faced with all these areas of tension, in spite of strong representations, it has been almost impossible to form an intervention force capable of protecting people and property.
Nowadays, there is significant advance in the understanding and conduct of peace-keeping operations in Africa, particularly among the international community. On 22 May 1997, France, Britain and the United States concluded a treaty in Paris, France, to help African countries participate in the UN peacekeeping operations. They met again in New York on 22 July 1997 to prepare the first meeting of an African group of peacekeepers. Subsequently, a seminar was held at Dakar from 21 to 23 October in which 17 African countries participated, to study the diplomatic, political and juridical implications of reinforcing the capacity of peacekeeping in Africa.
This new idea stems from a French initiative in 1994, aimed at transforming the "Ndiambour" French-Senegalese manoeuvres into international operations, and creating a permanent training centre for peacekeeping at Zombokro (Côte d'Ivoire). Its aim is to provide African armies with the means of conducting peacekeeping operations, with the help of donor countries. (An example of what has already been achieved, is the inter-African military peacekeeping force in the Central African Republic [MISAB])
"Guidimakha '98" will involve a whole series of financial, material and logistic requirements. It's a combined operation, aimed at seeing how West African countries will perform from a military point of view. The combined force will total about 3,500 officers and men: 1,362 Senegalese; 913 French; 615 Mauritanians; 493 Malians; and a combined 40-man combat company with personnel drawn from Ghana, Benin, Chad, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, The United States and Britain. The exercise will need material amounting to over 2,000 tons - 630 small arms, 100 radio sets, a surgical unit and a hospital section. For transporting troops and material - warships, transport planes, helicopters and 100 vehicles of different kinds, will all be needed. There is a stockpile of 2,500 cubic meters of fuel and the budget for the whole operation is estimated at 1.5 million dollars.
France is providing the lion's share of material needed. But other countries are promising to contribute. General Amadou Toumani Toure is chairman of the supervisory committee for the Bangui (Central African Republic) Treaty. He's a realist and is the first to admit that neither the OAU nor individual African countries can provide all the material needed for this type of operation. He says: "Africa has come of age and has the ability and necessary human resources to carry out everything required of an intervention force. But the continent hasn't got all the means needed to carry through this ambitious peacekeeping operation".
"Guidimakha '98" is an important first step in increasing Africa's capacity for peace-keeping duties. It shows that Mali, Senegal and Mauritania are determined to devote their energies in maintaining peace and stability in the region and the rest of Africa. These countries are mainly behind the organising and they want to see how this new international idea works. Some countries (unlike Ghana), have never taken part in peace-keeping operations before, so it's a "first" for them.
Conclusions:
- West African armies have proved that they have the capability to devise and plan a peace-keeping operation. In eight months, eight commissions made all the necessary preparations for the "Guidimakha '98" manoeuvres. They proved that such manoeuvres can be planned within the context of the African continent.
- The future African Intervention Force is already formed, thanks to financial support from France and large contributions from the United States, Great Britain, the United Nations and the OAU. It's not yet a permanent intervention force, but all the elements are there for a future permanent force.
- The African Intervention Force is a new idea with major innovations. Politicians are in agreement that such a force is necessary and practicable. The "Great Powers" and countries both sides of the North-South divide are one in expressing their support. This defense strategy is indeed a "first" for Africa.
- The Western Powers have a renewed interest in Africa, and so France, the United States and Britain have decided to play the same tune.
True, the western world has its own interests at heart when dealing with Africa, and for this reason is concerned by what's happening in the various parts of the African continent. But African countries demand that their interests should also be taken into account.
END
PeaceLink 1998 - Reproduction authorised, with usual acknowledgement