Yaounde, Cameroon Africa, October 12th (news.cameroon-today.com) – A school has been started in the Republic of Congo with funding from the government of France where soldiers from across 12 African countries including Cameroon will be trained in peacekeeping activities.

president of Cameroon jet

A school which is the first of its kind is opening in the republic of Congo with financial aid from the French Government which will be focused exclusively towards equipping soldiers for peace keeping operations and will take in trainee soldiers from over 12 countries across the African terrain.

The school named as the National Regional Engineering School (ENVR-GT) was conceived as a division of the Congolese Military Staff Academy in Makabandilou, a province that is situated close to the capital Brazzaville.

“The training is aimed at providing the military with selected skills for their engagement in peacekeeping operations in Africa, including areas like masonry, carpentry, electrical supply and plumbing,” said a highly enthusiastic commander of the ENVR-GT, Colonel John Brice Malonga.

“The school will also engage in the reintegration of soldiers who have finished their active duty and still want to contribute to rebuilding their countries,” he stated.

The ENVR-GT has already initiated a pilot project of 30 trainees who belong to 16 sub-Saharan countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Congo, Central African Republic, Djibouti, Gabon, Gambia, Equatorial Guinea, Mali, Niger, Sao Tome & Principe, Senegal, Chad and Togo.

As per the current plan officers are proposed to undergo a training of nine months whereas non-commissioned officers (NCO) will be subjected to shorter courses of three months each.

Malonga told the press that soldiers would need to successfully complete an entrance test which will comprise of question pertaining to generic culture, military matters, French and physical education in order to undergo training at the ENVR-GT.

The venture which is a joint effort of the governments of France and Congo has cost them billions CFA francs and the school is equipped with the infrastructure and facilities to train hundreds of soldiers every year. The two governments have also planned to invest around 150 million CFA Francs (US$300,000) which will go towards economic aid for the trainees.

“Creating this school was a rocky road but our main goal is to train soldiers capable of high performances in the missions,” said Malongas counterpart at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lieutenant General of the Army, Bruno Clement-Bolée.

Corinne Lowa, aged 29, a first-class midshipman from Cameroon is the only woman amongst a male dominated group to undergo pilot training.

A highly excited Lowa says that she is not in any way inhibited by her 29 male classmates and proudly chooses to call herself as the lady “pioneer” of the ENVR-GT.

“After my training, I’m ready to serve wherever needed,” she said.

“I was fortunate to be selected for this training. I hope in the future more female candidates will have the same opportunity,” she said.