LIBREVILLE Ministers of defence and the interior of ten central African countries announced Thursday the establishment of an early warning system to anticipate crises and conflicts. The representatives of Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and Sao Tome also decided to hold joint military exercises to simulate peacekeeping operations. The decisions were announced at the end of a three-day meeting in Libreville behind closed doors, sponsored by the United Nations Permanent Consultative Committee on security questions in central Africa. Heads of state and government of the countries represented on the committee will decide at their next summit whether to approve the plan for a council to promote peace and anticipate, manage and settle political crises and armed conflicts.

Military and civilian experts would contribute to the early warning system, gathering information, undertaking political, military and diplomatic analyses of the risks of emergencies and conflicts, and making proposals for dealing with them by peaceful means. A report indicated that the workings of the system, to be funded by the Organization of African Unity, would be highly confidential, given the sensitive nature of the information that would be handled.

Meanwhile, military commanders of the countries concerned will meet in Libreville on may 14 and 15 to plan the proposed exercises, scheduled to take place near Franceville, in eastern Gabon. The exact date will be decided when the necessary funds have been collected, but participants said it could be from next July. The ministers also agreed on a number of measures to counter arms smuggling, including the creation of a regional police unit and a ban on private armies.

The measures will have to be approved by the UN Security Council. (AFP)