MOD Confirms Commitment To 2020 Africa Deployment

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has confirmed it will still be boosting deployments to help in the fight against terror groups in Africa, following delays caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Alongside the United Nations (UN), British troops are already working in a number of countries on the continent including Kenya, Malawi and Senegal.

However, earlier this year plans were put on hold to deploy 250 British troops to join the UN peacekeeping force in Mali for the first time, due to concerns over the spread of COVID-19.

"We are working closely with the UN to plan our increased contribution to peacekeeping operations in West Africa and remain committed to deploying within 2020," an MOD spokesperson said.

British personnel are helping to train local forces in the region to tackle threats from terror groups such as Boko Haram and al-Qaeda.

Royal Air Force Chinooks have been deployed in Mali since 2018, and earlier this month a commitment was made for the three aircraft and 100 personnel to remain in the country.

Colonel Chippy Minton, commander of the British Peace Support Team in Africa, praised the "unique" nature of the UK's support on the continent, when Forces News spoke to him earlier this year.

"We work in [17] countries – that number is increasing as we expand westwards," he said.

"We are fairly unique and that’s recognised and I think the demand for us is going up rather than down."

In Kenya’s capital Nairobi, the Humanitarian Peace Support School has trained 1,600 students from 15 African nations in safe bomb disposal.

In Senegal, British troops have also been delivering training to the Cameroonian, Moroccan and Nigerian defence forces.

Exercises include house clearance and battlefield simulations, with an emphasis on terror threats.

Lieutenant Unyime Collins of Nigerian Special Boat Service said this collaboration was vital.

"No one country can fight terrorism alone – so we need regional collaboration because terrorism is transnational... so to fight them we need regional collaboration," he said, speaking earlier this year.

Cover image: A Chinook RAF helicopter in Mali's Sahel region (Picture: MOD).