The Initiation of the Third Training　

TOKYO, Japan, May 17, 2017/APO/ --

1. Japan will dispatch 18 personnel from the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force etc. to the third training under the UN Project for African Rapid Deployment of Engineering Capabilities (ARDEC), which is implemented by the UN Department of Field Support. The training which will take place in Kenya from May 29th aims to instruct engineering personnel from the Tanzania People’s Defense Force on the operation of heavy equipment.

2. In recent UN PKO activities, the lack of heavy equipment of engineering units and their operators has been a great challenge in conducting humanitarian assistance activities and ensuring the safety and security of peacekeepers. To overcome these challenges, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expressed a commitment to contribute to the rapid deployment of these equipment and personnel with engineering capabilities at the Summit Meeting on UN PKOs held in September 2014.

3. Following Prime Minister Abe’s commitment, Japan provided financial contribution to the UN for the procurement of heavy equipment and the implementation of training, and subsequent to the trial training held in 2015, instructed approximately 60 engineering personnel from the Kenya Defense Forces on the operation of heavy equipment at the first and second training from June through October last year.

(Reference) Outline of the training

Period of training：May 29th – July 21st, 2017
Location of training：Nairobi (Kenya International Peace Support Training Centre)
Instructors：18 personnel led by Major Hiroki Hamada
Contents of the training：Instructing engineering personnel from the Tanzania People’s Defense Force on the operation and maintenance of heavy equipment required for engineering activities.

Distributed by APO on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.