Africa plans joint defence force
By Damian Zane
Addis Ababa

Africa's defence chiefs have agreed that by 2010 the continent should
have a stand-by force that will intervene to prevent genocide.
The force will act in conflicts such as that engulfing Ituri, in
north-east Democratic Republic of Congo. An estimated 50,000 people have
died there in fighting between the minority Hema ethnic group and the
majority Lendu.
The chairperson of the meeting, South African chief of staff General
Simpiwe Nyanda, specifically said that was the kind of problem the
future force could deal with.

If the timetable is stuck to, the African Union will be ready to get
involved in such crises within seven years.
The force will fall under the AU's peace and security council which,
when established, will be able to sanction intervention in places where
genocide is suspected, without reference to the country involved.
However, the military officials at the meeting recognised that there was
a long way to go before such action was likely.

Stand-by brigades

The agreed plan envisages the establishment of regionally based stand-by
brigades, where each country initially pledges soldiers and logistical
support to the United Nations and later to African Union observer
missions.
It is hoped that from these brigades an AU peacekeeping force will be
constituted, and thereafter an intervention force will be formed.
AU officials stress that this does not constitute the establishment of
an African defence force. The soldiers will remain under the command of
their individual countries until such time as the continental body takes
charge of a specific mission.

They will eventually return to their countries when that mission is
over.
If all goes to plan, this will be the first step towards enabling Africa
to avoid always having to rely on the international community to solve
its problems.
Story from BBC NEWS:

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