Accra, Aug. 28, GNA - General Abdulsalam Abubakhar, a Former Nigerian Head of State, on Monday said since peace support operations were launched with ceasefires when in actual fact there was still tension to manage the name given to such forces should be changed. He said they should no longer be called "peacekeeping or peace support operations" but referred to as "implementation force or stability force".

"Above all, the end result to peace support operations is to restore political stability and have a government in place," he said. General Abubakhar was speaking at the opening ceremony of the Fifth Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the African Peace Support Trainers' Association (APSTA) at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping and Training Centre (KAIPTC) at Teshie, near Accra.

General Abubakhar, who is also the Patron of APSTA, said the Continent in its quest to find lasting peace had not only accepted the African Standby Force but had also created regional standby brigades. Apart from these, the Continent had the largest number of peacekeepers in the history of the UN.

He expressed the hope that APSTA would make innovative inputs in the successful implementation of peace accords not only in Africa but in the world, while designing new ways for training peacekeepers for restoring political stability in crisis ridden countries, as well as complementing the efforts of Africa Union (AU) and Heads of State and Governments to consolidate peace and stability. General Abubakhar cautioned the media to refrain from sensational reportage but rather use the media to educate the people on the need for peace on the Continent. "You must shun sensationalism and inform the people on the need to give peace a chance. You need to keep this at the back of your minds when reporting on issues that have the potential to foment conflict because it takes time to start conflicts but no one knows when they would end," he said.

"I hope Africans would see the need to give peace a chance," he said.

Brigadier-General John Atipoe, Commandant of the KAIPTC and the outgoing President of APSTA, expressed optimism that the Association would be of relevance to efforts within the Continent to build and enhance capacities for peace missions, especially in the area of peacekeeping and peace building training.

Issues to be discussed include keeping the website of the Association active and up-to-date; finalizing its brochure and newsletter; undertaking research on Darfur to inform training activities and how to involve the Association more closely in the work of the AU. APSTA is the African Chapter of the International Association of Peacekeeping Training Centres (IAPTC). Its Secretariat is currently at the Institute for Security Studies in Pretoria, South Africa. The AGM would facilitate dialogue and exchange of information among APSTA's members in order to share best practices on training for peace support operations.

Participants include international experts from African peacekeeping centres and civil society organizations.