ECOWAS Stabilisation Mission in Guinea-Bissau Boosts Troops ’ Fitness, Camaraderie

ECOWAS Stabilisation Mission in Guinea-Bissau Boosts Troops ’ Fitness, Camaraderie

The ECOWAS Stabilisation Support Mission in Guinea-Bissau (ESSMGB) on Saturday organised a five-kilometre route march to promote physical fitness and teamwork among personnel.

The exercise was held in Bissau as part of the mission’s monthly physical training programme, according to a statement by Major Reuben Kovangiya, Military Public Information Officer, Force Headquarters ESSMGB, made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna.

The exercise also aimed to enhance operational efficiency, strengthen camaraderie and improve interoperability among mission personnel and Guinea-Bissau security forces.

Speaking after the exercise, the Force Commander, ESSMGB, Brig.-Gen. Danjuma Dantani, said regular physical training was essential to maintaining personnel’s fitness, wellbeing and operational readiness.

Dantani said the exercise was designed to bring personnel together while encouraging them to adopt healthy lifestyles and reduce health risks associated with physical inactivity.

He urged contingent commanders to make physical fitness a priority by ensuring that their officers and soldiers remained physically fit and operationally ready at all times.

The Force Commander commended participants for their commitment to the successful conduct of the exercise, stressing that collective fitness and teamwork were critical to achieving the mission’s mandate.

Participants included officers and soldiers of FHQ ESSMGB, staff of the Office of the Resident Representative of the President of the ECOWAS Commission, and contingents from Nigeria, Ghana and Senegal.

Personnel of the mission’s Level II Hospital also participated in the exercise, alongside members of the Guinea-Bissau Armed Forces comprising the Army, Navy, Air Force and National Guard.

Dantani said the joint exercise provided an opportunity for personnel from various components of the mission and host nation’s security forces to interact and exercise together.

He said such engagements would strengthen team spirit, camaraderie and interoperability among the participating forces.

The route march formed part of the mission’s regular physical training programme aimed at sustaining personnel’s fitness and preparedness for effective performance of their duties.