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West Africa: Military Aid

Answer

The British Military Advisory and Training Team (West Africa) based in Ghana currently comprises eight personnel, seven military and one civilian, with a focus of effort supporting two institutions, the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre and the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College. The team will be withdrawn by September 2009.The cost of the team and its activities is provided in the following table.

Financial year	Expenditure (£000)
2004-05	4.599
2005-06	3.850
2006-07	4.525
2007-08	3.317
2008-09	¹3.054
¹ Allocation—final spend to be confirmed.

The demand of international peacekeeping and stabilisation operations continues to increase. While the UK supports these efforts, in the case of the United Nations paying a significant share (7.8 per cent.) of the rising costs, the increased costs have forced the UK Government to review its funding of discretionary activity, in conflict prevention, management and resolution, and post-conflict stabilisation. The finite funding available has been prioritised and effort focused on those countries or regions where the risk and impact of conflict is greatest. Ghana has shown with its successful elections and transfer of power that it has developed a stability lacked by many others in Africa.It has always been our Government's long-term goal to enable the Staff College and Peacekeeping Training Centre in Ghana to become self-supporting with a commensurate reduction in the UK's direct assistance. Prioritisation of effort has required this process to be accelerated.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

491 c813-5W; 270546

Session

2008-09

Subjects

Military aid West Africa

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk