WINDHOEK - A 10-member Namibian Defence Force (NDF) contingent departs for India to participate in the joint, multi-national, peacekeeping India-Africa Field Training Exercise (IAFTX) involving that country and several African countries.
Two of the NDF members left for India on Tuesday and eight other members of this group are expected to depart for that country on Sunday for the IAFTX programme.

Indian High Commissioner to Namibia, Prashant Agrawal this week presented air-tickets to NDF recipients of the peace-keeping training programme. Countries that will attended are Zambia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania and Uganda with observers from Madagascar, Congo and Rwanda.

“The Field Training Exercise will focus on the two important areas of humanitarian mine assistance and peace-keeping operations based on the guidelines issued by the United Nations. The Field Training Exercise is to create better synergies and understanding as well as impart training for effective cooperation between forces of different African nations in these areas,” stated the Indian High Commissioner.

The joint military training programme will take place at Aundh Military Station and College of Military Engineering, Pune from March 18 to March 27. The initial planning conference for the exercise was held in December 2018.

High Commissioner Agrawal with Rear Admiral P. N. Tjandja, Deputy Chief of Staff, Namibian Defence Force (NDF); Col Vikas Goel, Advisor from Indian Army, Vinay Kumar, Head of Chancery, officiated at the seeing off ceremony for the NDF contingent proceeding to India for the important India-Africa Multilateral Field Training Exercise.