The African Union (AU) Commission’s Africa Standby Force began the final phase of the Amani Africa Cycle with a command post exercise (CPX) October 20, 2010.
Aimed at determining and furthering the force’s operational capability, the 10-day exercise involves more than 120 African military components and police forces from North, East, West, South and Central African regions, along with and 75 civilians and various European Union partners.
Amani Africa’s CPX is an exercise where forces are simulated, involving the commander, staff, and communications within and between participating headquarters – in this case, a mission and strategic headquarters. Amani Africa’s CPX simulates a peace support operation in the Republic of Carana, located on the fictitious island sub region of Africa called Kisiwa. Participants at all levels are given scenarios. The exercise scenarios are then coordinated between the AU, mission headquarters, and strategic headquarters in order to respond holistically. Scenarios involve issues related to refugee protection, human rights, gender, rule of law, general security, political engagement and troop and police contributing country management.
The main scenario of the exercise involves the Vrai Mouvement Patriotique de Carana (VMPC), a movement group intent on weakening the African Union Mission in Carana (AMICA) and gaining a foothold in the Mahbek province of Carana.
VMPC members have conducted various attacks on the civilian population in Carana, targeting displaced people in camps; committed gender-based acts of violence; attacked police officers; and recruited young men into their movement.
ASF personnel coordinate within all levels of their mission and strategic headquarters to develop plans of action to address issues from every aspect. The plans are then simulated carried out with ground forces.
Scenarios like this serve as a means to increase awareness of the force’s capabilities, procedures and requirements among the senior AU leadership and member states, along with preparing and evaluating the readiness of the force in its future role providing peace and security.
"The African Standby Force itself is a key component in the management of crisis management," said Nigerian Major General Samaila Iliya, Amani Africa CPX exercise co-director. “It is a component that must be robust. It has to be capable of undertaking a range of activities in terms of peace operations. If you look at the present environment, especially that of Africa, you’ll see there are quite a number of challenges, especially when it concerns peace and stability.”
Major General Iliya said the regional divisions have conducted several exercises and training on their own, which had prepared them well for the CPX that has integrated them all. There is more work to be done, he said, but the exercise participants have done well.
After the exercise is completed, ASF procedures will be evaluated and refined. The AU council will later determine when the force will be activated. Once operational, the Africa Standby Force will deploy in times of crisis in Africa, taking their experience to the next level by providing assistance to Africans and helping bring peace and stability across the continent.
In the framework on the CPX, a Media Day has been scheduled on 26 October 2010 from 09:00 AM to 14: 00 PM. During this event, journalists will have the opportunity to participate in the exercise. The Media Day will take place at Zelalem Building, fourth floor. A bus will be made available for journalists from 8h45 to 9h15 for the shuttle between AU HQ and Zelalem Building.
