Visit to the International Peace Support Training Centre by Hon. Hirotaka Ishihara, Parliamentary Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan

On March 6th, 2014, Hon. Hirotaka Ishihara, Parliamentary Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, made an official visit to the International Peace Support Training Centre (IPSTC) during his official visit to Kenya. The IPSTC is one of the best PKO training centers in Africa, and the Government of Japan has been supporting the center since the year 2008.

Brigadier Robert Kabage, Director of the IPSTC, provided an informative briefing on the center’s activities and achievements to the Parliamentary Vice Minister. Director Kabage also expressed his appreciation towards Japan’s continued assistance to the center, especially for its support towards training courses for South Sudanese and Somali participants and research activities. In response, Hon. Ishihara congratulated the center’s achievements and expressed that Japan will maintain its contribution in the field of Peace Keeping Operations.

After the briefing, Parliamentary Vice Minister Ishihara moved to the Peace Support Operation Training Village, where the IPSTC provided a special demonstration on civilian protection. The storyline of the demonstration was that an armed rebel group attacked an IDP (Internally Displaced Persons) camp in a small village when the Red Cross was providing a health check-up inside the camp. The demonstration was very realistic and pragmatic.