ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia – A Mobile Education and Training Team delivered instruction in the principles of the NATO Operations Planning Process June 26 to 30, 2017, at the Eastern Africa Standby Force headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

 

The team, which was comprised of NATO School Oberammergau staff from Germany and personnel from Allied Joint Force Command Naples in Italy, conducted training at the request of the African Union Peace and Security Division. The crew was assisted by the NATO Senior Military Liaison Office to the AU.

 

The requirement for the training comes from the role of the Africa Standby Force to provide the AU with capabilities for the rapid deployment of Peace Support Operations. These types of operations include observation and monitoring missions, peace support missions, intervention in an AU state, preventive deployments, peace building , and humanitarian assistance.  The training team’s lessons helps build collective and individual AU capability in the planning of these various operations.

 

The participants, drawn from 14 African countries, were a mix of military, police and civilians. The trainees were drawn from the AU and elements at the Eastern Africa Standby Force headquarters and logistic base.

 

The METT began with opening remarks from the EASF commander, Sudanese Army Brig. Gen. Alaadin Osman Mirghani representing the AU and Greek Air Force Col. Gregorios Diolatzis, the course director from NSO. Event organizers said the course provided students with fundamental planning process knowledge, and it introduced basic documents, definitions and responsibilities through sessions and discussions.

 

Mirghani expressed appreciation to NATO for sponsoring and conducting what he said was a valuable and relevant training course.