Police officers train for peacekeeping in Africa

1937

Africom reports US Army Africa, the Army component of US Africa Command, maintains close ties to the Center of Excellence for Stability Police Units, (CoESPU) an international police training mission led by Italian Carabinieri.

During a visit to Vicenza this week General William “Kip” Ward stopped by CoESPU, where director Brigadier General Umberto Rocca briefed him on the center’s mission — improving police officers’ abilities to operate in peacekeeping missions to include operations in Africa.

Ward met with police officers from several African nations, to include Cameroon, Nigeria, Mali and Burkina Faso. Other officers, from countries such as Serbia, Nepal and Indonesia, may serve in future police assignments in Africa. Ward encouraged them to put the CoESPU experience to good use.
“The training you go through here, you can take back with you to your country and make a difference in police matters,” Ward told the officers. “Fight for opportunities to pass the knowledge you learn here onto others.”