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African Standby Force starts first military exercises | African Standby Force starts first military exercises |
(about 3 hours later) | |
Members of the African Union's new 25,000-strong multinational standby force are gathering to begin field training for the first time. | Members of the African Union's new 25,000-strong multinational standby force are gathering to begin field training for the first time. |
The exercises in South Africa aim to make sure the force is ready by January to respond to crises across the continent. | The exercises in South Africa aim to make sure the force is ready by January to respond to crises across the continent. |
The force will be made up of five brigades from Africa's economic blocs. | The force will be made up of five brigades from Africa's economic blocs. |
It is being set up to avoid reliance on the outside world in peacekeeping across the continent. | It is being set up to avoid reliance on the outside world in peacekeeping across the continent. |
Africa Live: BBC news updates | Africa Live: BBC news updates |
The logistical base for the African Standby Force (ASF) will be in Douala in Cameroon following a deal signed last week. | The logistical base for the African Standby Force (ASF) will be in Douala in Cameroon following a deal signed last week. |
The training begins at the South African Army Combat Training Centre in Lohatla with an opening ceremony on Monday. | The training begins at the South African Army Combat Training Centre in Lohatla with an opening ceremony on Monday. |
On Tuesday, 5,000 officers from the military and police will be in the field where the ASF will have to intervene in a fictitious country. | On Tuesday, 5,000 officers from the military and police will be in the field where the ASF will have to intervene in a fictitious country. |
The operation, which continues until 5 November, is intended to help evaluate how ready the force is to respond to crises and monitor peacekeeping missions. | The operation, which continues until 5 November, is intended to help evaluate how ready the force is to respond to crises and monitor peacekeeping missions. |
The exercise was meant to be carried out in Lesotho in 2014 but was delayed because of security issues in the country. | The exercise was meant to be carried out in Lesotho in 2014 but was delayed because of security issues in the country. |
One of the reasons the ASF was established was so African countries did not need to rely on countries outside Africa for conflict resolution. | One of the reasons the ASF was established was so African countries did not need to rely on countries outside Africa for conflict resolution. |
But BBC Monitoring's Africa security correspondent Tomi Oladipo says the AU will have to ask donors for money as it said in May that it needs $1bn (£700m) to make the force operational. | But BBC Monitoring's Africa security correspondent Tomi Oladipo says the AU will have to ask donors for money as it said in May that it needs $1bn (£700m) to make the force operational. |
There are also challenges relating to poor co-ordination and the lack of political will among member states, he says. | There are also challenges relating to poor co-ordination and the lack of political will among member states, he says. |
The African Union (AU) has become gradually more willing to intervene in countries over its 15 year existence, Hallelujah Lulie, an Ethiopian-based researcher for the Institute of Security Studies, told the BBC's Newsday programme. | |
Once the force was set up, it would be able go into an AU member country uninvited in cases of genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes, he said. | Once the force was set up, it would be able go into an AU member country uninvited in cases of genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes, he said. |