Seychelles represented at Africa Endeavour exercise 2013 |09 September 2013

A delegation from the Seychelles People's Defence Forces took part in the ‘Exercise Africa Endeavour 2013’ held in Lusaka, Zambia from August 5 to 15 organised under the auspices of the United States Africa Command (US Africom).

Africa Endeavour exercise 2013 is the United States Africa Command’s annual 10-day communications exercise that focuses on interoperability and information sharing among African nations and partners.

The exercise's primary objective is to increase the command, control, and communications capabilities of African nations by encouraging interoperable tactics, training and procedures, as well as by creating documented standards that support interoperability.

The final exercise is the end results of three planning conferences held during the year in various African states. Seychelles has been participating in this exercise since 2010.

This year's  exercise had the largest number of participating nations and organisations to date with 80 US participants, 32 European and North American, and 246 African representing more than 41 African nations, The African Union, and Economic Communities of East and West African States, Canada, the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, the US and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato).

This yearly exercise is also an avenue for the US to build strong and sustainable relationship with African nations and help increase the continent's capacity to respond to its own challenges.

The SPDF was represented by Lieutenant Colonel Michael Rosette, the deputy Chief of Staff who was invited as the ‘Distinguished Visitor’ while exercise participants comprised Colonel Donald Gertrude, Major Leslie Benoiton, Major Raymond Athanase and Second Lieutenant Kelvin Freminot.

The Seychellois participants are satisfied with the experience and knowledge gained during the exercise.