Vice Chief of Defence Forces, Lt. Gen Jonah Mwangi today officiated the commencement of the 28th Regional Senior Mission Leaders’ Course at the International Peace Support Training Centre in Karen, Nairobi.
The distinguished programme, sponsored by the Government of the United Kingdom through the British Peace Support Team is aimed at strengthening the participants’ leadership capacity in the conduct of peace operations.
In his remarks, Lt. Gen Mwangi noted that the contemporary issues such as insurgency, terrorism and civil unrest necessitates the adaptation of peace support operations approaches, which play a central role in mitigating conflicts and promoting stability. He further acknowledged the essential need for partnerships in fostering conditions for peace in a world plagued by fragility and conflicts.
Additionally, he emphasized that peace support operations stand out as the most viable instruments of choice for the United Nations in its quest for global peace and security, resulting in a positive impact of multi-dimensional peacekeeping efforts.
The VCDF underscored the need for the course participants and mentors to explore diverse strategies to bolster effectiveness in addressing the root causes of instability, emphasizing inclusivity and synergies from mandate inception to peace consolidation.
“By providing a platform for dialogue and cooperation among conflicting parties, peace support operations contribute to building trust, promoting reconciliation and laying the groundwork for sustainable peace and development in conflict-affected regions.”
Director IPSTC, Brigadier Joyce Sitienei noted that the flagship course will strengthen the high-level participants’ capacity in carrying out critical leadership roles and responsibilities in the United Nations.
“As stakeholders in peace and security, we need to consider the future of peacekeeping, hence be more realistic and pragmatic about the training impact for mission leaders,” said the Director.
The capacity-building initiative saw 30 course mentors and participants attend, drawn from 19 countries including Kenya, Ethiopia, Gambia, Uruguay, Malaysia, India, USA, Siera Leone, Mongolia, Burundi, Ghana, France, Nepal, Rwanda, Sweden, Cameroon, Denmark, Mozambique and Somalia.
Present during the event was Commandant Joint Command and Staff College, Maj. Gen Eric Kinuthia, United Kingdom Defence Attachee, Brigadier Ronnie Westerman, Commandant British Peace Support Team, Colonel Andrew Pitt and other senior officers.
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