PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Africa (8 July 2014)

The Ministry of Defence has active defence engagement programmes across Africa that offer military support to African countries and institutions. The intent is to help build the capacity of African countries and institutions to handle the complex security challenges they face, including the threat posed by Islamic extremist organisations. This is achieved by delivering a range of military support including; resident training teams; short term training teams; use of our Defence Attache network; and, the provision of academic and specialised UK military courses. We plan to continue to develop and sustain this activity.

Key planned military support to African countries facing complex security challenges where Islamic extremism is a significant component, includes:

The commitment we gave at the London Ministerial on security in Nigeria on 12 June 2014, to offer direct training and advice to the Nigerian forces engaged in the fight against Boko Haram and other terrorist groups. This is in addition to our ongoing assistance to Nigerian Armed Forces’s efforts to locate the Chibok School girls, who were kidnapped by Boko Haram in April;

Sustaining the training and advisory support we provide to the African Union Mission in Somalia to assist its efforts to combat Al Shabab. We will also continue to assist in the development of a Somali National Army that can protect Somalia’s internal security and borders in the longer-term;

Continued advice and assistance to the Libyan Armed Forces through the Defence Advisory and Training Team (DATT) in Tripoli; part of the UK’s £62 million Security, Justice and Defence programme. The UK has also committed to train 2,000 of the 10,000 Libyan soldiers for the General Purpose Force in conjunction with those trained by Turkey, Italy and the US. Training of the first tranche began at Bassingbourn in June 2014.

Delivery of tactical training to the Mali Armed Forces through our contribution to the European Union Training Team (Mali).