By RFPosted on 07-12-2019Modified on 07-12-2019 at 00:06

About 50 police officers and gendarmes from seven African countries have just participated in a week of counter-terrorist training organized by the United States in Thies.

Coming from Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali, Chad, Tunisia, Kenya and South Sudan, they participate in the American SPEAR program, dedicated to securing American embassies in countries where the risk of terrorism is high. More generally, the program aims to improve the ability of elite units to respond quickly in the event of an attack. The participants completed Friday, December 6th their training near the American training center of Thiès, 70km east of Dakar.

Run, climb, re-run, carry a mannequin of 80 kilos, not to mention a move to the bar pulls. For the final year, program participants were not spared. " The exercise this morning was tough, it was very physical, it needed stamina. And it was tight, everyone gave the best, "says Kenyan inspector Silas Songoro. In yesterday's exercise, a Senegalese policeman died following a malaise. Specific causes are not yet established.

An exercise in the form of competition. To each country his team. American instructors encourage. Captain Michel Koné is at the head of the Mali team: " The harder the training, the easier the fight is. "

Police officers from seven African countries participated in the first week of December in Thies at a counter-terrorism training organized by the United States. © Charlotte Idrac / RFI

The officer had participated in the operation during the attack on the Radisson Blue Hotel in Bamako at the end of 2015. " Our unit was informed by the American authorities that there was a VIP at the hotel. After the evacuation of the VIP, we participated with other units, Malian and French, at the last assault. It was a win-win cooperation I would say. "

In French, English, or Arabic ... This program is an opportunity to exchange for El Hadj Omar Beye Samb Senegalese GIGN, despite differences in languages: " In this kind of meetings, we will always find codes to talk to each other. "

For the moment, Senegal is not part of the SPEAR program, which now concerns twelve countries, all Africans, plus Iraq.

    On the same subject

    Africom commander takes stock of US support for Burkina Faso

    G5 Sahel: France and Mali welcome US aid announced

    comments