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'Gabon 2000' to test Africa's peacekeeping competency

LIBREVILLE: Sixteen African and western countries were participating in military exercises dubbed Gabon 2000, beginning Saturday, under France's RECAMP programme aimed at boosting Africa's peacekeeping capabilities.

The exercise will test the ability of a peacekeeping force comprising members of the Economic Community of Central African States (CEEAC) to intervene in a country hit by internal conflict, a French military source said.

Eight CEEAC members Ñ Gabon, Burundi, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Sao Tome and Principe ÑÊwere to contribute troops for the exercise, while France, the United States, Italy, Britain, Spain, Belgium, Portugal and the Netherlands offered logistical and training support.

The programme will seek to replicate a peacekeeping operation in a fictitious country emerging from a civil war, from the moment of deployment from a neighbouring country, also fictitious, until the mission is accomplished.

The multinational force, acting on a UN mandate under the aegis of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), will be tasked with carrying out several types of actions including protecting the civilian population and supporting humanitarian operations.

"It's not a mission to impose peace by force, but rather a peacekeeping mission of a humanitarian nature intervening after a ceasefire accord between the conflicting sides in the country," a French officer said.

A four-day initial phase will allow the participants to deploy the African contingents to Libreville and set up command structures.

The next phase, set to last five days, will be used to equip and train the troops. AFP