Africa-Press – Ghana. The Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) has opened its 2025 Political Advisor Course for Peace Support Operations in Africa.
The course, co-developed and co-funded by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Defence and the KAIPTC, aims at enhancing the analytical and diplomatic capabilities of personnel deployed to peace missions across the continent.
The two-week course, which has participants from the sub-region, will cover topics including negotiation and mediation, reporting and briefing, public diplomacy, and media engagement.
It is designed to equip participants with internationally recognised competencies required for advising mission commanders and heads in UN, AU, and ECOWAS peace operations.
The Political Advisor Course serves as a critical component of KAIPTC’s broader mandate to strengthen peace support operations through research, training, and partnerships with international institutions.
Air Commodore David Anetey Akrong, the Commandant of KAIPTC, underscored the increasing need for well-trained political advisors within multi-dimensional peace operations, particularly in a context of rising regional instability and fragile states.
“The African continent has witnessed a surge in international efforts to end wars, stabilise fragile states, and rebuild war-torn societies,” he said.
Air Commodore Akrong observed that the global security landscape – particularly across the African continent – had become increasingly complex over the past decade.
He noted that conflicts now bore national, regional, and global consequences, fuelled by factors such as radicalisation, terrorism, transnational organised crime, and foreign influence operations.
The impact of these crises, he admitted, were far-reaching, resulting in mass civilian suffering, displacement, food insecurity, environmental degradation, and the disruption of local and regional economies.
“All these challenges combined deprive individuals and entire societies of peace, prosperity, and sustainable development,” the Commandant said.
According to Air Commodore Akrong, addressing such multidimensional conflicts required personnel with robust, cross-cutting expertise.
He stated that those involved in peacebuilding and post-conflict recovery must be well-equipped to operate under increasingly comprehensive mandates, underscoring the critical role of political advisors in contemporary peace support operations.
Mr Jürgen Heissel, the Austrian Ambassador to Ghana, who declared the course officially open, commended KAIPTC for its continued commitment to capacity building and praised Ghana for its role as a regional anchor of stability.
“Ghana and Austria share a commitment to democracy, security, and the rule of law,” he stated.
He emphasized that Austria’s diplomatic and security cooperation with Ghana and the wider West African region was grounded in shared values, citing projects such as military dog training and peacekeeping collaboration as examples of their bilateral engagement.
Austria, which has deployed over 100,000 troops to UN peacekeeping missions, is also a candidate for a seat on the United Nations Security Council for 2027–2028.
Amb. Heissel highlighted Austria’s interest in contributing meaningfully to global peace and security by addressing issues such as terrorism, climate-related security threats, and hybrid warfare.
“Those engaged in rebuilding war-torn societies under increasingly multi-dimensional mandates require broad expertise and skills,” he said.
The Austrian Ambassador urged participants to fully engage and said, “your active engagement and exchange will enrich and deepen everybody’s understanding and benefit the missions and institutions you represent.”
For More News And Analysis About Ghana Follow Africa-Press
