Military personnel from eight African countries have participated in the opening of a two-week United Nations Integrated Training Service (UNITS) Train-the-Trainer United Nations Military Observer Course, funded by the Government of Canada.
The training was held at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) in Accra. The course is aimed at strengthening and standardising the capacity of military personnel to prepare future United Nations military observers, while creating a network of qualified trainers capable of transferring specialised knowledge and skills to other personnel in their respective countries.
The participation of the eight countries brings together military personnel from across West and Southern Africa, reflecting the significant role African countries continue to play in United Nations peace operations. Ghana, in particular, remains one of the UN’s largest uniformed personnel contributors, ranking seventh globally with 1,938 personnel as of January 31, 2026. Tanzania had 964 personnel, Senegal 887, Zambia 886 and Malawi 761, while Kenya contributed 460.
The training is particularly relevant to the continent’s peacekeeping role, as military observers require specialised skills in monitoring, reporting, liaison, situational awareness and the implementation of mission mandates. The UN describes its military and police personnel as national-service members who are seconded to work with the organisation in peace operations.
The Canadian High Commission in Accra reiterated the government’s commitment to supporting international peace, security and capacity building through partnerships that strengthen the United Nations’ ability to promote and maintain peace globally. The Commission said such partnerships are essential to building the expertise and capabilities required to respond effectively to complex peace and security challenges around the world.
“Canada remains committed to supporting international peace, security, and capacity building through partnerships that make a global impact” the High Commission stated
Canada’s support builds on its longstanding involvement in international peacekeeping. The United Nations says Canada was among the first countries to contribute to UN peacekeeping, taking part in the UN Truce Supervision Organization in the Middle East in 1954, and has since provided more than 125,000 military and police personnel to UN peace operations.
Although Canada’s present deployment is considerably smaller, it continues to support UN peace operations through personnel, financing, specialised capabilities and training.
Canada’s support for the training builds on its long-standing contribution to UN peacekeeping, having provided more than 125,000 military and police personnel to dozens of UN peace operations worldwide. Canadian personnel have served in all six UN peacekeeping operations in Africa, including missions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Mali, with 123 Canadians losing their lives in the service of UN peacekeeping
Canada is also a significant financial contributor to UN peacekeeping, ranking as the eighth-largest contributor to the UN peacekeeping budget, according to the Canadian government. For the 2025–26 fiscal year, its assessed contributions to UN peacekeeping were approximately C$224 million, alongside additional support for training and capacity-building and initiatives aimed at increasing women’s participation in peace operations.
The African countries represented at the KAIPTC course also have a longstanding record of contributing personnel to UN operations. Ghana has deployed personnel to UN missions since the early 1970s and remains among the organisation’s top contributors, while current UN figures show substantial deployments from Tanzania, Senegal, Zambia, Malawi and Kenya. Ghanaian personnel, for example, were serving across 13 UN missions as of April 2026, according to the UN Peacekeeping website.
The course represents an investment not only in the individual participants but also in the wider peacekeeping architecture. By equipping military personnel to become trainers who can replicate the knowledge gained within their national institutions, the initiative is expected to strengthen preparedness, improve consistency in training and enhance the effectiveness of African personnel deployed to future United Nations peace operations.
Contributor: Nana Kofi Twum-Ampofo Nerrose Jones
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