Minister of Defence Permanent Secretary, Steady Mwale says it is important for countries in the region to embark on effective management of conflicts within the SADC region.
Mr. Mwale said there is need to place more emphasis on the involvement and commitment of regional organisations in conflict resolution.
The Permanent Secretary said this during the official launch of the Combined Joint African Exercise (CJAX) 2018 under the theme ‘a mission is not a trip but a fulfillment of its objectives while on the move’.
Mr. Mwale noted that the initiative falls in line with the African Union aspirations for the African standby force in line with peace support operations doctrine and highlights its strategic context, concepts and direction.
He said Zambia has been involved in peace support operations since 1982 and has since accounted itself very well.
Mr. Mwale stated that the aim of the exercise is to achieve a thorough understanding of the challenges involved in planning and coordinating a complex, multinational and multidimensional peace support operations (PSO) by applying the African Union peace support operations doctrine and planning principles successfully to a given scenario.
He added that the concept of integrated mission planning within United Nations peace support operations has received new focus since the endorsement of the UN integrated mission planning guidelines by the UN Secretary General.
And Commandant of the Defence Services Command and Staff College Brigadier General Dennis Alibuzwi said the CJAX exercise provides a better understanding of the challenges involved in the planning and coordination of a complex multinational peace support operation.
He said it will also have a positive effect on the operational capability of the African standby force and the SADC brigade.
The Combined Joint African Exercise is under the auspices of the Southern Development Community (SADC) on behalf of the African Union (AU), and the African Conference of Commandants (ACOC).
The exercise provides an opportunity for the defense forces to exchange ideas and concepts between the SADC commands.
The only problem with African sponsored peacekeeping missions is that they aren’t well funded. Participants operate on a shoestring budget, sometimes they have to appeal for bailouts from the EU or other institutions. That’s not good enough. Some countries take too long to remit their contributions, no wonder some missions underperform.