Army to train Namibian forces

Vijay Mohan

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Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 8

The Indian Army will help establish a Signals training school for the Namibian armed forces in the African country as part of its growing engagement with countries located in what was known as the dark continent. At the same time, India, besides focusing on bilateral trade and cultural relations, will also push for procurement of uranium from Namibia.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) for helping setting up the military school was expected to be signed between the two countries during President Pranab Mukherjee’s state visit to Namibia next week, senior officials of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. Besides Namibia, the president will also visit Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast).

While this is the first-ever visit of an Indian President to Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana, a presidential visit to Namibia, is being undertaken after 21 years. The reaching out to African countries, many of which have historical and cultural ties with India, comes in the backdrop of China having made significant inroads in that continent. China has major presence in the aforementioned countries with major developmental projects and high volume of trade. A team of three Indian Army officers and other staff will proceed to Namibia for the project once the formalities are worked out. A defence cooperation agreement with Namibia was signed in 1995, following which Indian Air Force training teams have been stationed in Namibia, which has also procured some defence equipment from India, including three transport helicopters from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.

MEA officials said an agreement was signed with Namibia, which is the fourth largest producer of uranium, for peaceful civilian use of nuclear energy, but its implementation had been held up as it was still to be ratified by the Namibian legislature. An agreement among African countries on uranium export is another impediment to the agreement. A number of other agreements are also expected to be signed with the countries that the President is visiting, besides holding delegation level talks with leaders of the respective countries and interaction with the local diaspora.

An agreement for setting up a gas-powered fertiliser plant in Ghana and reopening the regional office of the EXIM Bank for West Africa are also on the agenda. The President will address a joint business forum and students and faculty of the University of Ghana besides unveiling a statue of Mahatma Gandhi gifted by the Indian Council of Cultural Relations. In Cote d’Ivoire, among other official engagements, Mukherjee will be honoured with the National Order of the Republic of Ivory Coast, the highest civilian award of that country.