| The spotlight
on southern Africa’s regional collective security initiative recently shifted from
Harare to South Africa, hosts to Exercise Blue Crane. The military exercise, a sequel to
an earlier one hosted by Zimbabwe in 1997, is being held at the South African National
Defence Force (SANDF)’s Army Battle School at Lohathla in North Western Province. Exercise
Blue Hungwe, as the first exercise by Zimbabwe was officially known, was aimed at
enhancing regional liaison and cooperation in military skills and inter-operability by
means of a multinational joint field training exercise (FTX).
The exercise gave effect to a convergence of ideas, which had been taking shape for
some time in SADC at the summit, ministerial and technical level, particularly after the
establishment of the SADC Organ on Politics Defence and Security in June 1996. Its
principles were based on the UN Agenda for Peace and Standby Force Arrangements and the
OAU’s Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution, as well as other
peacekeeping initiatives sponsored by the US, Britain and France.
Exercise Blue Hungwe was a Zimbabwean initiative, co-funded by the Zimbabwean and
British governments. A total of 1,100 troops, contributed by Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Malawi,
Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland and Tanzania participated in the exercise.
The British Military Advisory and Training Team (BMATT) also worked closely with
Zimbabwean military experts in designing the exercise, planning its execution and
evaluating the results.
In his closing address at the Nyanga Battle School, President Robert Mugabe, in his
capacity as Chairman of the SADC Organ, suggested that the Blue Exercise series should
rotate among SADC states annually. Subsequently, on the recommendation of the
multinational Report Writing Team that was convened to evaluate the exercise, the SADC
Interstate Defence and Security Committee (ISDSC), at its Lusaka Ministerial Meeting of
November 1997, acknowledged the success of the exercise and approved that the “Blue
Series” of FTXs be held at least annually in the SADC member states on a voluntary
and rotational basis. It was at that same meeting that South Africa offered to host the
sequel to Blue Hungwe, which they later code-named Exercise Blue Crane. |
Like Blue Hungwe, Blue
Crane aims to enhance the capacity of SADC/ISDSC military forces in peacekeeping
operations. It will be a brigade level exercise, with naval and air support. However,
there is a possibility that the naval component might be removed from the exercise.
Lt. Col. A.W. Tapfumaneyi |
VIEW ON
REGIONAL
PEACEKEEPING |
SANDF consulted widely with all theparticipating
countries for their input into the exercise’s aim and content, based on their own
specific experiences and requirements. Subject to the wishes of participating states, the
aspects to be exercised might target some specific concerns that may have been raised
during the planning stage. South Africa has also campaigned widely for donor support and
offers of assistance have come from the US, Britain and France, the Nordic countries and a
number of other state and non-state parties.
Zimbabwe has been active in providing assistance to the SANDF at the level of planning
and administration for Blue Crane. Although the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) intended to
provide personnel assistance at various levels, its current commitments in the DRC will
limit the level of participation during the exercise.
In spite of the current constraints, there are however, many compelling reasons for |
Zimbabwe to participate at
significant force levels. First, since it pioneered the Blue Series, its hands-on
experience would be indispensable for Blue Crane. Secondly, as the current Chair of the
SADC Organ, it is morally and duty bound to take a leading role. The image it has earned
and cultivated through its commitments in Somalia, Rwanda and Angola, and the thinking
which is informing its current operations in the DRC would suffer greatly if it did not
participate in meaningful numbers in Exercise Blue Crane. Additionally, Zimbabwe is
host to the Regional Peacekeeping Training Centre which has contributed significantly to
the Blue Series. As at 2 March 1999, 200 officers drawn from the defence forces of the
SADC member states, had graduated on fortnight-long UN peacekeeping courses that the
training centre has hosted biannually since October 1995. Of particular note, with respect
to Exercise Blue Crane, is that in October 1998, the centre, by special request from the
organisers of the FTX, held a course for 42 SADC officers who were earmarked to hold
specific appointments during the exercise.
Almost all SADC countries are expected to participate in the forthcoming Exercise Blue
Crane.
This article comes in a two-part series. The second part of the series, to be
published in the next issue of SADC Today, will focus on the overall SADC peacekeeping
capacity-building initiative in the context of the SADC Organ on Politics Defence and
Security.
The author, Lt Col AW Tapfumaneyi, is an academic who works in the Ministry of Defence
of Zimbabwe. He writes in his personal capacity. |
