ACOTA Graduation
Ambassador Garvey Statements
Remarks by Ambassador Garvey - ACOTA Graduation, Ngaoundere
December 12, 2008
- Thank you to the Commander and Staff of CIFAN for being such excellent hosts for all the personnel associated with our Africa Contingency Operations Training Assistance, or ACOTA, program;
- Thank you to the Ministry of Defense and the Joint Staff for the administrative and logistical support necessary to create Cameroon’s First Peacekeeping Battalion and Cameroon’s new Peacekeeping Training Instructor Group;
- Thank you to the United States ACOTA Trainers and the United States Marines for their professionalism and commitment to ensure high quality peacekeeping training for our Cameroonian partners;
- And most importantly, congratulations to the Commander and Staff of Cameroon’s first Peacekeeping Battalion, to the newly formed Cameroonian Peacekeeping Training Instructor Group, and to all the Cameroonian soldiers present on the field today, out here in the hot sun, for the successful accomplishment of such a challenging peacekeeping training program.
- It was clear from this morning’s demonstrations that your training was good, and that you are motivated and competent. Cameroon should be very proud of you.
- This is an historic day -- Cameroon has now entered the ACOTA family and is poised to contribute to international peacekeeping efforts in a way never done before. The US State Department sponsors the Africa Contingency Operations Training Assistance (ACOTA) program for our partners in over 20 African countries because we believe that professional African militaries offer the best solutions to the continent’s regional security challenges.
- Some nations, like Ghana, Senegal, and Nigeria, have been ACOTA partners with the United States for many years and have more than 15 battalions of peacekeepers completely trained and equipped through ACOTA. These battalions have proven very effective during deployments in support of regional peacekeeping missions in places like Liberia, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire, Sudan, and elsewhere.
- Because of the ongoing security challenges in central Africa, it is my hope that Cameroon will take advantage of its strategic position and strong potential to play a greater leadership role by deploying peacekeepers in support of a regional mission, whether in support of the United Nations or the African Union.
- As your Airborne Battalion from Koutaba commences its second company-level deployment to Bangui, I applaud the support Cameroon is providing to the CEEAC-sponsored mission in the Central African Republic, and I would like to extend ACOTA training and support to any future deployments of this kind.
- I have also directed our Defense Attaché to provide the ACOTA Instructor Cadre with an English language training program that will remain on site here in Ngaoundere. This should become useful as your peacekeepers interact with those from across Africa in the future.
- Without regional security, there can be no sustainable regional development, and it is clearly in Cameroon’s national interests to have improved security conditions on its long and porous borders.
- If President Biya decides to deploy this First Peacekeeping Battalion in support of a regional peacekeeping mission, I assure you that the United States, working with our other international partners, will provide additional support necessary to make that a success. As an example, we have several containers of new uniforms, boots, helmets, radios, and field equipment that will become available for this battalion once you are given a specific mission. We will also bring the ACOTA Trainers back up to Ngaoundere for mission-specific refresher training.
- Again, I congratulate each and every one of you for your accomplishments during this rigorous peacekeeping training program, and I wish you all the best as you take on your new roles as international peace keepers.