A joint military exercise involving 1,300 personnel from 36 countries is ongoing in Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire with the goal of enhancing the capacity of regional forces to collectively counter violent extremism groups and protect their citizens.
Code-named “Exercise Flintlock 24”, participants drawn from countries6
including Togo, Burkina Faso, Tunisia, Norway, Denmark, United States of America (USA) and United Kingdom, would undergo different training modules till May 24, this year.
Introduced in 2005, the exercise, conducted under the U.S. Special Operations Command Africa (SOCAF), is designed to strengthen collective security, reinforce military bonds and trust of the civilian populace, and augment the tactics, procedures, and skillsets of regional partners.
Ghana is co-hosting the exercise for the second consecutive time with training locations including Accra in the Greater Accra Region, Tamale, Northern Region and Damongo in the Savannah Region.
At the opening ceremony in Accra yesterday, the Director of Operations at the SOCAF, Captain Scott Fentresss, said the exercise represented a comprehensive, multinational approach to bolstering security across Africa as it brings together international partners to jointly tackle security challenges on the continent.
He said it embodies an “African-led, partner-enabled” strategy, fostering critical partnerships and interoperability with Ghana’s role as co-host highlighting its leadership among African nations and robust partnership with the US.
He said no single country could solve Africa’s complex security threats alone, hence the need for the collaboration , adding that with global stability linked to a prosperous Africa, the exercise exemplifies the collective commitment to that goal through collaboration.
The Deputy Chief Staff Officer at the Ghana Armed Forces’ Headquarters, Brigadier General Kweku Darkwa Hagan, said the exercise would help nations to talk, coordinate and cooperate in combating these worldwide security challenges that no single country could tackle alone.
Thanking the partners for selecting Ghana to host the largest special operations exercise in Africa for the second consecutive year, he said it was a testament to the healthy and enduring partnership between Ghana and the US.
BY JONATHAN DONKOR
