HARARE-(MaraviPost)-A sixty-eight-member contingent of troops from Zimbabwe will be in Malawi from today for a two-week-long SADC peacekeeping preparatory exercise.
According to Herald, the group comprises members of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services, Zimbabwe Republic Police, as well as those from other Government departments.
They started leaving for Malawi last week in batches.
The high-profile command post exercise, code-named “Exercise Umodzi”, will see all countries from SADC participating as the regional bloc will be preparing for their African Union standby peacekeeping lead duties, which it assumes between January and June next year.
Speaking during a send-off parade at One Commando Regiment last week, Commander Zimbabwe Defence Forces, General Philip Valerio Sibanda, urged the contingent to be good ambassadors.
He said the exercise would prepare the participants to adjust to modern-day complexities associated with peacekeeping operations.
“The aim of the Command Post exercise is to highlight to you some of the complexities associated with a modern-day peace support operations scenario,” said Gen Sibanda.
“The desire for integrated training within the context of a SADC standby force enhances cohesion and reduces confusion within a multinational force in the event of a need for a rapid response.”