13 October 2008
Luanda — The chief of Staff of Angola Armed Forces (FAA), gen. Francisco Furtado, said Monday in Luanda that peacekeeping and security in Central Africa must be a priority in the harmonious development of the sub-region.
Gen. Furatdo said so at the opening of the pre-initial meeting on the exercise of certification of the Stand-by Regional Brigade of the Economic Community of Central Africa States (Eccas) taking place in Luanda until October 17.
"In order for peacekeeping in the sub-region, it will be convenient the member States to extend all necessary support to the African Stand-by Force whose first unit is the Regional Brigade," said the general.
According to him, the development of each Central Africa member state can only be achieved within a stable and balanced regional environment, which requires the reinforcement of regional cooperation integrity, within the framework of existing international principles.
The officer also said that the analysis of the basis and dimension of the exercise, the study of the exercise scene, the topographic adjustments, organisation and command of the army will complete the cycle of planning and adoption of the dossier on the initial planning conference the experts will be tasked with, towards the sustenance of the coming biennial exercise Angola will host in 2010.
"We are sure that the delegates present are at the heights of the matters raised and will be capable of, within the framework of the definition of the strategy, outlining the best that fit the current regional and world conjuncture," he stressed.
Francisco Furtado expressed Angolan authorities' readiness to support the initiatives that seek the development of actions that converge in the Eccas geographic space, with the commitment to strongly defending the most noble interests of the sub-regional community.
He also stated that Eccas, alike other international or regional organisations, has been affirming itself in various domains, particularly at the level of defence and security, with benefit to stability in the member countries.
Eccas groups Angola, Central Africa Republic, Tanzania, Lesotho, Botswana, Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, Congo and São Tomé and Príncipe, whose delegates are attending the event.
The works going within closed doors, Angop learned, are being chaired by Angolan gen. Egídio de Sousa Santos "Disciplina", Eccas assistant secretary general.
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