Harare — The African Union Commission has moved a step closer to the planned conduct of the AMANI AFRICA II Exercise and to the realization of the African Standby Force following the start of the Strategic Headquarters Training in Harare, Zimbabwe on 3 November 2014. The training, which comes at a pivotal moment in the exercise cycle, aims to providing participants with a better understanding of AU Peace Support Operations planning and management and prepare them for the Main Exercise, which is scheduled for April 2015. This simulated exercise will play a significant role in evaluating the readiness of the African Standby Force to respond swiftly to ensuing conflicts unhampered by any heavy obstacles.
The European Union Representative, Lt. Col. Anton Gash made this observation quite succinctly in his opening remarks. "We have done a lot of theorizing, planning and scenario development, including quite a number of briefings, but really, this is where the work starts and we are here to construct the working platform for the exercise. A lot of the people seated here today, will on day one of AMANI AFRICA II, be wearing some form of uniform, or a badge, for the civilians, that indicates that they are part of the core staff of the Strategic Headquarters. This training, therefore must be the most concrete, practical and pragmatic stage of the exercise cycle." The European Union under the Joint Africa-EU Strategy is supporting the initiative and Lt. Col. Gash reassured participants of the EU's continued political will to support Africa, the African Union and the AMANI AFRICA II Exercise.
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