Mozambique and U.S. stage joint military exercise

MAPUTO, Mozambique, Aug. 4 (UPI) -- Mozambique and the United States are staging joint Shared Accord Exercises 2010 military exercise.

The Shared Accord Exercises 2010 is being conducted in Mozambique's southern Moamba province district, Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique reported Tuesday.

A Mozambique Defense Ministry news release from Mozambique's Defense Ministry stated that Shared Accord Exercises will run Aug. 12 and is designed to strengthen Mozambique's peace keeping operations capacities and emergency humanitarian assistance techniques.

More than 1,000 U.S. service members and Mozambican soldiers are participating in Shared Accord 2010, which is coordinated by U.S. Africa Command's Marine component.

U.S. Marine Forces Africa. Lt. Col. Andrew Olson, defense attache at the U.S. Embassy in Mpauto said: "This exercise is part of a solid, long-term, multi-faceted partnership between the U.S. and Mozambican militaries. Hundreds of members of both our armed forces will participate together in various types of military training, including command post, live-fire training, and peace operations, as well as sharing their experience.

"We are confident that this exercise will help develop Mozambique's capabilities to offer additional security for its neighbors, keep Mozambique itself more free from threats to its own security, such as illegal fishing, trafficking in drugs or other illegal activities, or even the threat of piracy, and enhance its ability to effectively fight against poverty here at home."

Besides the military exercise, troops will also jointly provide free medical and dental care to three local communities and rehabilitate two schools.

Shared Accord is an annually scheduled, combined, bilateral U.S.-partner nation event, which has previously been hosted by Benin, Ghana and Senegal. This year is the first time Mozambique has been the site of the exercise, designed to build partner nation capacity for conducting peace and stability operations, according to U.S. Marines Capt. Kate Vanden Bossche, public affairs officer for the Shared Accord exercise.

The Shared Accord operation is being coordinated for the U.S. AFRICOM Command by its Marine component, U.S. Marine Forces Africa. Members of the U.S. Navy, Air Force and Army are also providing support for Shared Accord 2010. Following conclusion of the exercise participating U.S. servicemen will return to their home bases in Europe and the United States.

According to AFRICOM, aircraft maintenance issues in the United States meant that the full advance team with heavy equipment operators and engineers, wouldn't arrive in time to conduct the first part of their mission and deliver the 262 vehicles and equipment, including Humvees, 7-Tons and bulldozers scheduled to participate, which were subsequently sent to Maputo by sea and offloaded from the Liberian-flagged ship Beluga Fusion.