US to train S.African soldiers for peacekeeping

South Africa has agreed to the US training and equipping two of its infantry battalions for peacekeeping duty, according to the South African Press Association on Monday.

The report said the United States is offering South Africa defense equipment and training to upgrade its forces.

A source familiar with the talks between South Africa and the United States said that the latter has spent the last eight years attracting South Africa's interest to their African Contingency Operations Training and Assistance (ACOTA) program.

ACOTA is a US State Department-coordinated program that works with African states to improve peace support operations and humanitarian assistance capabilities.

Countries that have already participated in the program includeBenin, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Malawi and Senegal.

The source, who spoke on condition of not being identified, said the difficulty in offering South Africa training and equipment was that it had a sophisticated domestic industry and defense force.

Many of the usual offerings, such as uniforms and radios, wouldbe inappropriate.

Suggestions that have been made instead include the United States providing South Africa with simulation equipment similar tothat used at facilities such as their Joint Readiness Training Center where army and air force units train together against an opposing force before deploying abroad.

Other suggestions include training related to dealing with the media and using translators.

Source: Xinhua