The Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) has held a joint opening ceremony of the Development Diplomacy for Peace and Security Course (DDPS) and the Human Rights Training for Peace Support Operations Course.

The programmes, which are being organised by the Centre in collaboration with its partners, aim at building human capacities, institutional interaction and good governance.

About 45 participants were registered from across the ECOWAS sub-region and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Speaking at the opening ceremony in Accra, Colonel Edwin Adjei, KAIPTC Director of Training, said the DDPS course and the pilot course on Human Rights Training for Peace Support Operations, began on February 23 to March 13, and February 23 to February 28 respectively.

He said Africa had made progress in the pursuit of peace, development and stability in the last decade and KAIPTC had contributed to this development within its decade of existence.

He said recent trends in Africa had also created conflicts, civil wars, religious strife, human rights violations, war crimes, atrocities, terrorism and piracy which had resulted in the loss of many lives and properties, hence retarding Africa’s development agenda.

Col Adjei said many of these could have been avoided if the concerned developments had been analysed properly and the appropriate measures had been taken.

Col Adjei on behalf of the Governing Board, the Executive Committee and the staff of KAITPC expressed gratitude to the German Government, particularly their Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, for their generous sponsorship of the courses.

Mr Ruediger John, German Ambassador in Ghana, said his government had supported KAIPTC financially and technically since its inception in 2004.

He said one important focus within the collaboration between the German Government and KAIPTC was the German support to the development and implementation of need-based training courses.

Mr John said the exchange on training needs among the African Union, regional organisations and their training centres was crucial for the course content development.

In an interview with the GNA, Mr Dabla Toure of Cote d’Ivoire and a participant of the DDPS course, said in Africa there was a need to focus on the development of boarder communities of countries.

Ms Clarisse Uwambayikirezi of Mali and a participant of the Human Rights Pilot Course, told GNA that as a staff of the United Nations Mission in Mali, the programme would enable her upgrade her knowledge on human rights.