Oodi — To accomplish seamless communication, SADC Standby Force will conduct an exercise meant to enhance security forces communication among SADC member states.

The Botswana Defence Force' (BDF) Communication Exercise (COMMEX) Director Brigadier Moenyana Mathambo said in a press briefing on July 24 at Oodi that the exercise that would last for 10 days entailed a field exercise that focused on transmission of messages and enhanced data and would not be a command exercise that could affect members of the community.

The exercise code-named Exercise "Dipuisanyo" was conducted by the SADC Standby Force from 24th July to 4 th August 2023 in Gaborone, Kanye, Lobatse and Oodi Village.

Brig. Mathambo said the exercise formed part of the SADC standby force exercises meant to forge operability, draw up standing operational procedures to be employed during SADC missions and to integrate the military, the police service, correctional services and the civil component of the SADC missions.

He said approximately 480 participants from SADC members states would take part in the exercise comprising staff members from the military, police, correctional services, and the civilian.

Brig. Mathambo said awareness had been made to communities where the exercise would take place and that since it was a communication exercise, it would not affect them.

He said the Botswana Communications and Regulatory Authority (BOCRA) had been duly notified so that their equipment did not affect communication transmitters."This exercise is only meant to inter-operate our communication equipment across member states fairly easily without hiccups," he stressed.

SADC SF COMMEX has been sanctioned by the 29th Ordinary Defense Sub Committee meeting, which was held in Lusaka, Zambia, in 2019, to exercise the SADC SF communication capability under the theme "Enhancing Communication Interoperability in SADC Missions".

BOPA