{"id":341883,"date":"2024-12-29T23:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-12-30T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=341883"},"modified":"2024-12-30T20:16:32","modified_gmt":"2024-12-30T20:16:32","slug":"u-s-army-leads-professional-military-exchange-in-the-central-african-republic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=341883","title":{"rendered":"U.S. Army leads professional military exchange in the Central African Republic"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n U.S. Ambassador to the Central African Republic (CAR) Patricia Mahoney meets with Claude Rameaux Bireauand, CAR’s Minister of Defense, and others in Bangui, CAR, Dec. 5, 2024. This was part of a U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) professional military exchange with FACA. The engagement, co-led by U.S. Africa Command\u2019s (AFRICOM) Inspector General (IG) Col. Valentin Maldonado and SETAF-AF\u2019s IG Lt. Col. Benjamin Barrett, aimed to strengthen military oversight, enhance readiness and promote transparency within military operations. (Courtesy Photo)
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\n U.S. Ambassador to the Central African Republic (CAR) Patricia Mahoney, Claude Rameaux Bireauand, CAR’s Minister of Defense, Gen. Bruno Izamo, Armed Forces of the Central African Republic (FACA), along with senior staff, pose for a group photo in Bangui, CAR, Dec. 5, 2024. This was part of a U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) professional military exchange with FACA. The engagement, co-led by U.S. Africa Command\u2019s (AFRICOM) Inspector General (IG) Col. Valentin Maldonado and SETAF-AF\u2019s IG Lt. Col. Benjamin Barrett, aimed to strengthen military oversight, enhance readiness and promote transparency within military operations. (Courtesy Photo)
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Back to<\/strong>\u00a0U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

BANGUI, Central African Republic \u2013 U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) recently conducted a professional military exchange with the Armed Forces of the Central African Republic (FACA) from Dec. 3-7. This engagement, co-led by U.S. Africa Command\u2019s (AFRICOM) Inspector General (IG)<\/a> Col. Valentin Maldonado and SETAF-AF\u2019s IG Lt. Col. Benjamin Barrett, aimed to strengthen military oversight, enhance readiness and promote transparency within military operations.<\/p>\n

The exchange, supported by the U.S. Embassy in Bangui<\/a> and the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA)<\/a>, provided a platform for discussions on topics ranging from the U.S. IG system and law of armed conflict (LOAC) to anti-corruption efforts and effective military governance.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis exchange reflects our commitment to fostering transparency, accountability and professionalism,\u201d Barrett said. \u201cThrough collaborative efforts like these, we can strengthen partnerships and build a foundation of trust that is critical for security and stability.\u201d<\/p>\n

The event marked a significant milestone for SETAF-AF, as it was the first time U.S. and Central African Republic (CAR) military leaders met to establish direct relationships. Discussions included key leaders from the CAR Ministry of Defense, the U.S. Embassy, and MINUSCA\u2019s Security Sector Reform (SSR)<\/a> division, creating an opportunity to share lessons learned and best practices.<\/p>\n

“I would like to thank the Minister of Defence for giving us the time for this hearing. I am really proud to hold this military exchange between AFRICOM and the Office of the General Inspectorate of the Central African Armed Forces (FACA) said Ms. Patricia Mahoney, U.S. Ambassador to the Central African Republic.<\/p>\n

CAR Minister of Defense, Claude Rameaux Bireau, expressed gratitude for the engagement, highlighting its importance in improving military oversight and fostering collaboration between the U.S. and CAR.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe CAR has very good relations with the United States. The Army inspectorate came to exchange experiences with the General Inspectorate of the National Army. Today, with an army of the world’s leading power, the General Inspectorate of the National Army will be inspired by the experience of an old army and I believe that it will improve its performance.\u201d said Bireau.<\/p>\n

SETAF-AF\u2019s IG and Staff Judge Advocate (SJA) offices presented the U.S. Army\u2019s IG model as a tool for maintaining good order and discipline, promoting trust and enhancing overall readiness. The SJA team, led by U.S. Army Capt. Charles Blanton, focused on LOAC, military investigations and the relationship between the IG and legal systems.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe emphasized how the IG system can serve as a cornerstone for accountability,\u201d Blanton noted. \u201cBy fostering cooperation between military oversight and legal systems, we can build a more transparent and effective defense framework.\u201d<\/p>\n

The exchange also provided a forum to address challenges unique to the CAR, including rebuilding military governance structures after years of conflict. Participants discussed the importance of leadership support in advancing reforms, with an emphasis on fostering cooperation between the IG and SJA offices to combat corruption and strengthen institutional trust.<\/p>\n

The exchange included a series of discussions and meetings with stakeholders such as U.S. Ambassador Mahoney, CAR IG Gen. Bruno Izamo and MINUSCA\u2019s SSR division led by Carole Baudoin. These interactions offered a holistic view of CAR\u2019s military and governance challenges, as well as opportunities for future collaboration.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis event has set the stage for further cooperation,\u201d Barrett said. \u201cIt\u2019s a step forward in aligning our efforts to enhance regional security and promote the rule of law.\u201d<\/p>\n

Future engagements are already being planned to build on the progress made during this exchange. Recommendations include extending the duration of future events to include regional partners such as Senegal and Rwanda, fostering a unified approach to military oversight and governance across Africa.<\/p>\n

Izamo expressed optimism about the partnership, noting the potential for long-term benefits specific to CAR\u2019s IG office, as well as throughout FACA and the region as a whole.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis collaboration strengthens our ability to address internal challenges while aligning with international standards,\u201d Izamo said.<\/p>\n

About SETAF-AF<\/strong><\/p>\n

SETAF-AF provides\u00a0<\/strong>U.S. Africa Command<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0U.S. Army Europe and Africa<\/a>\u00a0a dedicated headquarters to synchronize Army activities in Africa and scalable crisis-response options in Africa and Europe.<\/p>\n

Follow SETAF-AF:\u00a0<\/strong>Facebook<\/a>,\u00a0Twitter<\/a>,\u00a0Instagram<\/a>,\u00a0YouTube<\/a>,\u00a0LinkedIn<\/a>\u00a0&\u00a0DVIDS<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

1 \/ 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption \u2013 U.S. Ambassador to the Central African Republic (CAR) Patricia Mahoney meets with Claude Rameaux Bireauand, CAR’s Minister of Defense, and others in Bangui, CAR, Dec. 5, 2024. This was part of a U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) professional military exchange with FACA. The […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":341885,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-341883","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/341883","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=341883"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/341883\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":341888,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/341883\/revisions\/341888"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/341885"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=341883"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=341883"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=341883"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}