SADC Peacekeeping Force Ready for Deployment
The Southern African region standby peacekeeping force - the SADC Brigade - is ready to deploy troops anywhere in the region where there is crisis, says Defence Minister Mosioua Lekota.
Briefing media today about the state of readiness of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), Mr Lekota said the Southern African Development Community (SADC) states had pledged troops in excess of 6000 soldiers to the Brigade to deploy in crisis-ridden nations.
"I'm delighted to inform you that the SADC Brigade has finalised its structure and member states have pledged forces in excess of 6000 soldiers to it," he said.
This means that the burden of regional peacekeeping will be evenly spread across all southern African nations, said Mr Lekota.
The Brigade is the regional chapter of the African Union Stand-by Peacekeeping force.
The operational centre of the Brigade is in Gaborone, Botswana, the headquarters of the SADC.
In June, 12 of SADC defence forces held a joint military exercise called Exercise Thokgamo in Botswana, to further train and test the readiness of the force.
The military exercise gave participating forces practical experience in peace keeping operations for the region and the rest of the continent, he said.
"The Brigade is important because now we have a force that is not South African but Southern African. When the AU undertakes a mission, we are in a position to ask SADC to deploy the force to the AU mission," said Mr Lekota.
He said the operationalisation of the SADC Brigade consolidated the regional unity and reinforced the SADC mutual defence pact that united forces of the region.
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06 Septembre 2005 à 13:40 dans
- zsandf (anglais)
