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Building an army of peacekeepers in Africa
U.S. Special Forces conduct training
November 6, 1997
Web posted at: 5:15 p.m. EST (2215 GMT)SALIMA, Malawi (CNN)-- The United States Special Forces is trying to create a new breed of peacekeeper on the African continent: a tempered soldier who doesn't necessarily reach for a weapon first.
Currently in Malawi, 60 Green Berets are in the midst of a 60-day training program aimed at reeducating the nation's peacekeeping corps. The U.S. Army's training efforts, known as the African Crisis Response Initiative (ACRI), are being repeated across the continent, one nation at a time, and began late this summer in Uganda and Senegal.
The U.S. Army says its goal is to work with armies in at least eight African nations, creating a force of peacekeepers who would operate under standard procedures, and who would be equipped to handle missions outside their own nations. After Malawi, ACRI operations move on to Ethiopia and Mali.
US troops train African troops to be peacekeepers
989K/24 sec. QuickTime movie
The armies of each nation participating in the program have all had prior peacekeeping experiences. But their abilities and equipment vary vastly.
The U.S. Army says most of the troops being trained lack basic communications equipment, and even canteens, because they typically work in their own nations where people bring them food and water.
The fundamentals
The $15 million U.S.-funded program provides not only the peacekeeping training, but also equips each battalion undergoing training with one uniform per soldier, training ammunition, hand-held Motorola radios for basic field communications, medical clinics, water purification systems, canteens, and even optometric evaluations -- providing glasses to soldiers who need help to see. Eye wear may sound like rather odd equipment, but the U.S. Army says it is a fundamental element that can help avoid accidents that could spark multinational incidents.
But ACRI's emphasis on protecting people may be its most important task. Particularly for armies on a continent where coups are common, and civil wars know no borders.
"To switch that role, and become a peacemaker between, and learn to not always bring your weapon up first, but to try and get in between two -- that's probably the hardest concept to teach," said Sgt. 1st Class Paul Randurraga of the U.S. Special Forces.
Proposed by Christopher
U.S. Secretary of State Warren Christopher proposed the idea that became ACRI in October 1996, during a visit to the continent. At that time, world leaders were concerned about the rebellion in Zaire, and that attacks on Hutu refugee camps could spill over into neighboring nations.
As the weeks wore on, hundreds of thousands of refugees would scatter into Zaire's jungles and eventually across its borders. Thousands would die from disease, starvation and murder. Getting international aid to the needy proved difficult and risky.
What Christopher proposed, and the United Nations ultimately endorsed, was to build a rapid response force in Africa, using African troops.
Now, with help from British and French forces, ACRI trainers are working to build a rapid response force that respects human rights.
"One that abhors abuse, one that understands the mission, and one that will do what is needed to accomplish it with minimum force," said U.S. Special Forces Brig. Gen. Geoffrey Lambert.
The U.S. Army trainers are sowing those ideals in every army they work with, hoping the philosophy will take root and grow across the continent.
"This gives a common background to the operation of peacekeeping, so it's really a big impact," said Brig. Gen. Joseph Chimbayo of Malawia.
Many forces will go untrained, however. Only African governments which believe in, and practice, the fundamentals of democracy will benefit from ACRI. U.S. law forbids military assistance to countries run by military governments that have displaced citizen governments.
Correspondent Bill Delaney contributed to this report.
Related story:
- U.S. choosy about military intervention - May 22, 1996
Related sites:
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- U.S. Army
- Briefing on African Crisis Response Initiative - U.S. Department of Defense
- U.S. officials describe African Crisis Initiative - AfricaNews Online
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