Swiss Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Nicholas Lang on Monday called for unity among partners in international peacekeeping noting that there is no one-size-fits-all recipe to assure peace and stability.
He said strengthening coherence, co-ordination as well as diplomatic and security support to countries hit by conflict would enable such states to successfully confront the challenges ahead.
Mr Lang made the observation at the opening of a three-week Integrated Peace Support Operations Course (IPSO) at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) at Teshie in Accra.
The Swiss-sponsored IPSO, which draws participation across the African continent, focuses on operational planning, co-ordination and conduct of Peace Support Operations in order to enhance the effectiveness of participants in future operations.
Some 71 participants including 38 students of the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College are taking part in the course.
The course aims at providing civilians, police and military personnel at the mid-level position with skills and knowledge of the holistic nature of integrated missions at the operational level and in a multi-national
peace support operations environment.
Mr Lang said out of the of the 16 United Nations missions worldwide, seven were deployed in Africa, suggesting that the continent does not seem to have overcome the consequences of colonisation and the fatal drawing of artificial borders.
Consequently, there are high incidence of simmering or open conflicts between ethnic groups resulting in shocking brutalities and the increasing number of failed states.
"Such failed states are unable to achieve lasting and sustainable development; they thwart the rule of law, good governance and economic
development, and often impact negatively on the stability of the whole region."
The Swiss Ambassador said African leaders are more aware of the need to take their countries' destiny in their hands, mindful that a new colonialism through peacekeeping operations would run counter to their countries aspirations to real self determination.
He said even though expertise, material and financial support from foreign partners was likely to be necessary in the years to come, the
responsibility for peace support operations, their implementations, including command, should be in the hands of local actors.
Mr Land touted the IPSO course as an important component to building and strengthen relevant capacities to enable Africa provide African solutions to African problems.
He called on participants to avail themselves of the benefits of the training.
Air Vice Marshal Christian Dovlo, Commandant of the KAIPTC said the course was one of the primary ways of building capacity within the sub-region in peace support operations and the ECOWAS Standby Force at the operational level.
He also urged participants to take full advantage of the experience they would garner from the course.