1 INTRODUCTION

The project team visited Egypt over the period 21 July to 24 July 1996. For a more detailed itinerary, see Appendix J.

2 SCOPE

The report on peace operations training in Egypt as presented to the survey team is presented as follows:

3 BACKGROUND: EGYPTIAN PARTICIPATION IN PEACE OPERATIONS

Egypt has made the following contributions to UN peace operations:

Previous Operations

Current Operations

4 THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS FOR EGYPTIAN INVOLVEMENT IN PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS

The central co-ordinating authority in the decision making process is the Liaison Authority With International Organisations (LAWIO). LAWIO resorts organisationally directly under the Director General Intelligence. If a request is made by the UN or any international organisation for the Egyptian armed forces to contribute to any peacekeeping endeavour, it is channelled through the Egyptian mission to the UN, and simultaneously conveyed to LAWIO. The Egyptian mission to the UN will, in turn, refer the request to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with LAWIO being kept informed. Once the MFA receives the request from its mission in New York, it refers the request to the Egyptian MoD, while again referencing LAWIO. In the event of a positiveresponse to the international request, the MoD, in discharging its responsibility, will task LAWIO to go ahead with the necessary preparations, whilst also alerting its Operations Authority to initiate preparations. LAWIO will then task the Training Authority, Personnel Department, and Operations Authority accordingly. At the same time, LAWIO tasks other armed forces departments which will be involved, for example, logistics, armaments, engineering, signals, NBC, etc.

Units are deployed in theatre for a period of twelve months. However, once in theatre, half of the unit is rotated every six months to ensure continuity during the execution of lengthy operations. Each soldier deploys with a personal copy of guidelines which are published for the conduct of the particular mission.

Observers and staff officers are deployed for a period of one year before rotation back into their normal career pattern. However, should there be an international request, an exception can be made to this norm.

5 PRE-DEPLOYMENT PEACEKEEPING TRAINING FOR UN OPERATIONS

5.1 Unit Formation

Upon receipt of an instruction and unit configuration from LAWIO, the identification and preparation of an appropriate training site and the selection of personnel begins. Appropriate officers and specialists are drawn from existing units, according to UN experience and expertise. A suitable number of interpreters will be attached to the composite unit. The process of unit formation is typically completed over a period of two to three weeks. Only the best and most appropriate personnel will be selected for a peacekeeping mission. However, should there be a request for emergency deployment, an existing unit could be prepared for the particular peacekeeping task through a shortened assembly and training period.

5.2 Pre-Deployment Training Package

The pre-deployment package entails 110 hours of training, spread over a period of two to three weeks. The package encompasses refresher training in basic military skills, such as:

In addition, UN training forms an integral part of the pre-deployment package. The UN component occupies approximately one third of the allocated training time. The UN training component is facilitated by LAWIO. This includes topics such as English language skills, geopolitical briefings on the mission area, briefings on the mandate, rules of engagement, psychological aspects and stress management, and mine awareness. There is also a period of equipment familiarisation training with equipment that is unique to the mission area and type of operation.

5.3 Validation of Training and Re-Training

Upon completion of the pre-deployment training, the unit undergoes a stringent evaluation process, which is conducted up to the highest level, i.e. by the Chief of Staff. Should a unit or part thereof not pass muster, the relevant re-training cycle will be initiated. This process may be repeated more than once if necessary, until the unit is assessed as ready for deployment. LAWIO equips unit officers with all the relevant material and publications to conduct such re-training within the unit context.

6 THE CAIRO CENTRE FOR TRAINING ON CONFLICT RESOLUTION AND PEACEKEEPING IN AFRICA

The Cairo Centre for Training on Conflict Resolution and Peacekeeping in Africa was established in 1995 and had, at the time of survey, run two four-week courses on peacekeeping and conflict resolution. The first, conducted in June 1995, for Anglophone countries, was on peacekeeping and was attended by 14 students, primarily senior military officers, from seven countries. They spent three weeks at the Nasser Higher Military Academy and one week at the Institute for Diplomatic Studies. Three weeks was devoted to peacekeeping and one to preventive diplomacy. The second course, on preventive diplomacy and conflict resolution, was conducted during March/April 1996 for Francophone countries, and was attended by students from 23 countries.

The second course devoted three weeks to preventive diplomacy and one to peacekeeping. It was attended by senior diplomats (ambassadors, directors and councillors), and only one military officer (from Guinea Bissau). Although the courses cater exclusively for African students, resource persons have been drawn from countries such as France, Switzerland, Canada, and have included representatives from the UN and the OAU. The 22 students on the last course were drawn from 18 different countries. The focus and methodology of the courses are not strictly academic in nature, but mostly geared towards experiential learning. The Ministry of Defence has a crisis management room which was utilised for practical exercises.

The uniqueness of the Cairo Centre lies in the fact that it combines training in peacekeeping and preventive diplomacy in a single course, although the primary focus will vary between the two, depending on:

The next course, for Anglophone countries, is planned for November 1996.

Once the Cairo Centre is firmly established, the intention is to train 200 students on four courses per year. The idea is also to bring together students from both Francophone and Anglophone countries on the same courses in future, with a view to enhancing co-operation and to providing the same level and amount of training to both linguistic constituencies on the continent. The Centre is also developing co-operative arrangements with other peacekeeping/conflict resolution institutions such as the Pearson Peacekeeping Centre, the UK Staff College at Camberley, and the Austrian Peace Academy at Vienna.

The Centre intends to work in close co-operation the OAU Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution. The Centre also aims to focus the content of its courses on areas where the OAU is actively involved in efforts at conflict prevention and resolution. A need was also expressed for closer collaboration between the various national institutes dealing with preventive diplomacy and peacekeeping in Africa. There is a protocol between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and Defence in order to utilise the capacities of both ministries for the presentation of courses.

The Centre’s Director General is an Ambassador from the MFA, and it is currently funded from the budget of the MFA. The physical facilities of the Centre are located adjacent to the Institute for Diplomatic Studies, but are currently awaiting the completion of major renovations. Funding for the planned renovations, as well as the organisational structure, personnel and running costs, is pending approval at the level of the Prime Minister. This approval is expected to be granted in the near future.

The permanent staff will consist of a small cell of no more than fifteen personnel, which will be supplemented by guest lecturers from a broad range of actors who have had practical experience in peacekeeping and preventive diplomacy. Their knowledge and experience enables lessons to be learned from a wide variety of case studies.

The Centre is to have a board of trustees composed of five members from MFA and five from DoD. The chairman of the board of trustees will be the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The Centre is to consist of three functional departments:

The inaugural course of the Cairo Centre was conducted at the Nasser Higher Military Academy and at the Institute for Diplomatic Studies from 3 June to 29 June 1995. The course focused on the military dimensions of peace operations, but the first week concentrated on aspects at the political-diplomatic level. The course was concluded with a three-day command post exercise which was based on the handling of a complex emergency. More specifically, the course addressed topics such as:

The Institute for Diplomatic Studies (IDS) played an important role in the presentation of the first two four-week courses on peacekeeping and conflict resolution, as the Cairo Centre presently has a de facto rather than a de jure existence, as mentioned above. All four weeks of the second course (in March 1996), for example, were conducted at the IDS. The aim of the courses presented at IDS is to contribute to a clearer concept and definition of preventive diplomacy and its application to the African continent. This aim is pursued through three basic objectives:

The curriculum of the seminar on conflict resolution therefore includes aspects such as preventive diplomacy, peacebuilding, disarmament, sanctions and peacemaking; and the relationship between these aspects and the concept of crisis management. More specifically, the following subjects are covered in detail:

Although the Egyptian Government has paid all expenses encountered by the students, the role of countries such as France, Canada and Switzerland in providing high-quality resource persons as guest lecturers has made an important contribution to the success of these courses. Although such courses are very expensive to run, Egypt believes that one cannot compromise on aspects such as accommodation and air travel, if the desired seniority and quality of participants is to be attained.

7 THE INSTITUTE FOR DIPLOMATIC STUDIES (IDS)

The IDS was established in 1966 for the purpose of training both Egyptian and foreign diplomats. More specifically, the IDS aims to:

Aside from its involvement under the auspices of the Cairo Centre, the IDS includes the subjects of peacekeeping and conflict resolution in its curriculum for the year-long training course which it conducts for all young diplomats. The latter aspect includes a module on ethnic conflict studies. The IDS has filled a gap through the provision of training sessions that include diplomats from Asia, Europe and Latin America, in addition to joint co-operation with similar institutes from different parts of the world.

8 THE LIAISON AUTHORITY WITH INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS (LAWIO)

8.1 Background to the Military Observers and Staff Officers Course

LAWIO presently conducts a comprehensive course for military observers and staff officers. The purpose of the Military Observers & Staff Officers Course is to prepare and train selected officers to work as Military Observers and Staff Officers in UN peace operations. The aim of the LAWIO programme is to create a pool of qualified officers ready to be deployed in UN peacekeeping missions, or to fulfil the national rotation plan.

The Military Observers & Staff Officers Course consists of three distinct phases:

LAWIO is the focal point for the training presented, especially with respect to the planning and supervision thereof. Specialist training is conducted by various appropriate military institutes and schools, whilst students gain valuable practical experience in the field by being attached for a period to the UN Truce Supervision Organisation and the Multilateral Force and Observers.

Training material for the course includes a wide variety of UN publications, video tapes and reports, including the following:

8.2 Selection Phase

The purpose of this phase is to evaluate the general skills and abilities of the candidates, in order to choose appropriate officers to serve in UN peacekeeping missions. The total period of this phase is six weeks, divided as follows:

This phase concludes with an interview by a LAWIO committee for the final selection of candidates. The committee considers whether individual officers have the potential to qualify for work as military observers, according to their final results in the previous evaluation and their performance in the interview. The latter focuses on: general information and background; English language conversation; UN communication procedures; and potential reaction to different situations in the mission area. Successful candidates then proceed with the general training phase, while those who are unsuccessful are returned to their units.

8.3 General Training Phase

The purpose of this phase is to prepare and qualify the selected officers to be military observers/staff officers in UN peace operations, as follows:

The UN training is conducted by LAWIO, according to the following curriculum:

After successfully completing Phase II, candidates return to their units and resume normal duties until there is a need for their deployment as military observers or staff officers. They then return to LAWIO for Phase III (pre-mission training).

8.4 Pre-Mission Training Phase

The purpose of this phase is to prepare selected officers for deployment as Military Observers/Staff Officers in a specific UN peacekeeping operation, as follows:

Between 40 and 60 officers attend the selection phase of each military observer and staff officer course. Approximately 30-40, on average, pass the second phase. Most of the unsuccessful candidates are returned to unit because of their shortcomings in mastering the English language.

The first Phase I course was conducted by LAWIO in 1993. The course has subsequently been expanded to the current three phases and refined in content. The 11th course is currently underway, and the 12th is scheduled to commence on 15 August 1996.

Two military observer/staff officer courses are conducted per year. Should the need arise, however, LAWIO has the capacity to schedule more than two courses annually. Thus far, no foreign students have attended the courses, nor have requests for such attendance been made by any foreign government. However, the Chief of LAWIO indicated that future requests of this nature would be given serious consideration. Obviously, the selection phase would have to be conducted by the seconding country, according to LAWIO standards.

In order to increase awareness of the dynamics of contemporary peacekeeping, LAWIO is currently planning to introduce a UN familiarisation course for junior officers. The first such course, to be conducted over a period of two weeks for approximately 30 officers, is scheduled to commence in November 1996.

9 ADDITIONAL TRAINING FOR PEACEKEEPING

The military observer and staff officer training which is conducted under the auspices of LAWIO is supplemented and complemented by the practical experience of officers who have been deployed in UN operations, as well as by the attendance of selected officers of training courses abroad. Egyptian officers have attended the following courses: UN Staff Officers Course (Sweden); UN Military Observers Course (Finland); UN Logistics Course (Norway); UN Military Observers Course and UN Staff Officers Course (Germany); and UN Military Observers Course and UN Staff Officers Course (Austria). In addition, officers are encouraged to attend a wide variety of seminars and workshops on issues related to UN peacekeeping.

Peacekeeping is not presently part of the formal Staff College curriculum. However, guest lecturers are invited to speak on topics related to UN peacekeeping missions, as part of the staff course programme. It is envisaged that a module on UN peacekeeping will be designed by the Cairo Centre to form part of the formal curriculum in future.

The Egyptian Armed Forces have also embarked on joint UN training with other countries. In 1995, a command post exercise at company level was conducted in conjunction with the United Kingdom. During 1996, a battalion-level tactical exercise is to be conducted with the Netherlands. A further exercise with the UK is planned for 1997, possibly with US participation in the form of observers.

10 COMMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS BY HOST COUNTRY

Some difficulties, mainly of a budgetary nature, have been encountered in firmly establishing the Cairo Centre as a permanent centre of excellence for Training on Conflict Resolution and Peacekeeping in Africa. The authorities would therefore welcome any form of external assistance offered, whether in the form of funding, expertise, personnel exchanges or curriculum development.

Concern was expressed that too much emphasis on co-operation within sub-regional groupings such as SADC and IGADD may dilute the relevance and effect of the Central Organ of the OAU.

It was recommended that an effort be made to develop an information exchange system between existing peacekeeping training centres, both internationally and especially amongst African states. The latter should be co-ordinated through the Central Organ of the OAU in order to consolidate the existing system and avoid confusion and duplication of effort. Ideally, this type of co-ordination should be extended to cover all international efforts to enhance peacekeeping training.

It was also suggested that the OAU should play a distinct role in co-ordinating the various international initiatives, such as those of the French, British and Nordic countries, in order to improve the efficacy of such aid and move towards some sort of standardisation of peacekeeping training on the continent. This may include setting criteria for peacekeeping training efforts at the OAU level.

It was further recommended that where sub-regional peacekeeping courses are presented, a certain percentage of the students should be from other areas in Africa.

A need was expressed for the exchange of information and expertise at the international level, but especially within Africa. The starting point for such exchanges should be a seminar, or series of seminars, of 3-5 days duration, convened by the OAU, for experienced representatives of all institutions and centres that are directly concerned with the conduct and evolution of training and preparation for peace operations. The first such seminar should aim at the articulation and explanation of all existing programmes, with special reference to the particular areas of specialisation of each institution. This information could then be used in the formulation of proposals for a logical division of labour which would enhance standardisation and promote the establishment of regional centres of excellence.