Defence Intelligence Training Centre inaugurated in Accra

A defence Intelligence Training Centre and Office Complex for the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has been inaugurated in Accra.

The training centre will promote training activities of intelligence operatives with security agencies in the country, as well as those in the West African sub region.

The facility was built as part of measures to enhance operations of the military intelligence unit of the GAF.

The centre is housed in a two-storey complex with a 60-seat auditorium, two 20-seat medium-sized conference rooms, a research library, language laboratory and offices for officers and junior ranks.

It also has a multi-purpose cyber information office for real-time information analyses.

Training centre

The facility is part of projects being undertaken under the bilateral agreement between Ghana and Germany signed in 2005 and sponsored under the auspices of the German Equipment Aid programme for

Foreign Armed Forces and the German Armed Forces Technical Assistance Group (GAFTAG), which were in the country to support the GAF.

Institutions that have benefitted from the agreement include the Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Technical Training School, the Armed Forces Mechanical and Transport Training School and the Akuse Watermanship Training Camp.

Projects

At the inauguration and hand-over over ceremony for all German sponsored-projects in aid of the GAF, the Minister for Defence, Mr Dominic Nitiwul, explained that all projects under the first year of the current four-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) (2017-2020) were estimated to cost £1.33 million.

He said the agreement signed in 2005 had evolved over the years resulting in a renewal of two successive MoUs from 2013 to 2016 and now the 2017 to 2020 agreement.

Deepen relations

“The threat facing the world today is complex and diffused, making it imperative that there was collaboration at the bilateral and multilateral levels to defeat the common enemy,” Mr Nitiwul said.

According to him, it is necessary under the circumstances “to synchronise our strategies and procedures and work together towards our set objectives.”

The Minister of Defence expressed the hope of deepening bilateral relations between Ghana and Germany, even after the current MoU ended in 2020.

He expressed gratitude to all individuals and development partners who had contributed in diverse ways towards the establishment of the Defence Intelligence Training Centre and Office Complex building.

German Ambassador

For his part, the German Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Christoph Retzlaff, said his country would continue to collaborate with Ghana in the search for world peace, security and stability.

He commended Ghana for the immense contribution and commitment towards peacekeeping missions, saying the country’s efforts were highly appreciated.

The leader of GAFTAG, Lt Col Juergen Kunz, was presented with a souvenir, art painting and other presents to commemorate his 12 years of dedicated service to the GAF.