US military team evaluates peacekeeping needs

A curriculum development team from the US military is in Nigeria and Ghana to evaluate their needs for further peacekeeping duties in Sierra Leone, Assistant Secretary of Defence Kenneth Bacon told reporters on Tuesday. Several dozen US Air Force, Army and Special Forces personnel have been in the two countries since the end of July assessing training needs for the troops, who will be equipped by the United States. Speaking at the Pentagon in Washington DC, Bacon said the team was expected to complete its review in “a week or so” and make recommendations to the US government. He said that several weeks ago, when UN troops were detained by the RUF in Sierra Leone, the US government said it would spend US $20 million to strengthen UN peacekeeping in the West African country. Part of this money would be used to buy communications gear, trucks and other equipment for one Ghanaian and three Nigerian battalions. “This is all designed to train Nigerian or Ghanaian peacekeepers who then might be deployed to Sierra Leone,” he said.