Niël Terblanché
A joint military exercise by the national defence forces of Namibia and Botswana will hone the peacekeeping skills of both nations in the international arena.
The joint military exercise, known as Hanganee II, is the first since the Covid-19 pandemic came to an end and the second where the defence forces of both nations have the opportunity to enhance their skills.
Air Marshall Martin Pinehas, the Chief of the Namibian Defence Force while officially launching Exercise Hanganee II at Tsjaka in the Omaheke Region said that Namibia will continue to enhance its efforts to contribute to international peace, security, and stability.
Air Marshall Pinehas said this cooperation between the NDF and the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) will strengthen bilateral ties between the two countries.
“The exercise will also allow us to jointly evaluate our capacity regarding the Rapid Deployment Capability within the Southern African Development Community’s Peace and Security Architecture,” he said
According to Pinehas, this year’s exercise will prepare participants to face several military security challenges experienced within the SADC region.
He added that participants will gain valuable knowledge with regard to the transition from Peace Enforcement to Multi-Dimensional Peace Keeping Operations stages which includes humanitarian relief activities.
“The most important aspect of the exercise is the enhancement of interoperability between the two defence forces,” he said
Pinehas added that the Ministry of Defence and Veterans Affairs recognises the importance of the resolution of the 22nd session of the Namibia and Botswana Joint Permanent Commission on Defence and Security held at Gaborone in November 2012, which gave impetus for the conduct of a joint peace support operation.
Exercise Hanganee I was conducted in 2016, while Exercise Hanganee II got underway late last week after a long hiatus due to the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic. Pinehas encouraged participants to share their experiences and to learn from each other.
“You must work together as a team with a common purpose and I call on you to conduct yourself professionally and to uphold the highest of military standards,” he said.
According to Pinehas, the NDF and the BDF will continue to work together to jointly confront and address common challenges and threats posed by the dynamic security environment.
The Omaheke Regional Governor, Pijoo Nganate welcomed the initiative taken by the two militaries because the people of the region will reap the benefits while soldiers conduct humanitarian relief operations.
The joint military exercise will end on the 30th of June 2023.
