U.S. Military, Partner Forces Attending African ‘Land Forces Colloquium’
Officials from 11 African States and U.S military personnel are attending the African Land Forces Colloquium in Germany.
U.S. military personnel and officials from several African countries including Nigeria and partner nations are attending a four-day African Land Forces Colloquium at the 7th Army Training Center headquarters in Grafenwoehr, Germany.
According to the U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa, the summit which opened on Sept 20. with the theme “U.S. Army, Europe, Africa Training, from Tactical to Operational” is designed to address key issues in the U.S. Africa Command and U.S. Army Europe and Africa area of responsibility.
The summit involving senior officers from Morocco, Tunisia, Senegal, Nigeria, Kenya, Djibouti, Botswana, Rwanda, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, and Ghana, will include inspection of capabilities of the 7th Army Training Command, Grafenwoehr Training Area, the Joint Multinational Readiness Centre, and the Joint Multinational Simulation Centre located in Grafenwoehr and Hohenfels in Germany.
Stars and Stripes, a daily American military newspaper on September 22, reported that senior military leaders from 11 African countries participating in the event focused on finding novel ways of conducting joint exercises with U.S. forces.
Maj. Gen. Andrew Rohling, the U.S. Army Southern European Task Force-Africa commander and the U.S. Army Europe and Africa Deputy Commanding General for Africa was quoted by the newspaper to have said that “to me this isn’t about new equipment.”
Rohling added that “I’m not looking for anyone to buy a piece of equipment, I want them to invest in the training range and infrastructure at the institutional level that then drives training at the unit level.”
According to Stars and Stripes, as part of the training, attendees observed an exercise by the 12th Combat Aviation Brigade using Apache attack helicopters.
Battalion fire support officer for the 1-3 Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Lt. Lisabeth Quinn, highlighted that “soldiers also can integrate unmanned aerial systems or vehicles, and joint terminal attack controllers with the Apaches when available.”
On Tuesday, Maj. Gen. Thomas Oppong-Peprah, Ghana’s chief of army staff, was quoted as saying “So far what I have seen today specifically, there are facilities and opportunities for us to train our personnel either [by bringing] them over here to Grafenwoehr, or they come to Ghana.”
Support Our Journalism
There are millions of ordinary people affected by conflict in Africa whose stories are missing in the mainstream media. HumAngle is determined to tell those challenging and under-reported stories, hoping that the people impacted by these conflicts will find the safety and security they deserve.
To ensure that we continue to provide public service coverage, we have a small favour to ask you. We want you to be part of our journalistic endeavour by contributing a token to us.
Your donation will further promote a robust, free, and independent media.
Donate Here
