Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, President David Granger asserted that an agile, flexible and fully-integrated Guyana Defence Force is needed in order that its Constitutional mandate of keeping the Guyanese citizenry safe and secure be realised. In this regard, he signalled a significant restructuring of the Force, to enable a greater level of efficiency in the execution of its mandate and also, to ensure maximum development within the Force.
This was made clear when he addressed the Officer Corps of the GDF at its Annual Officers’ Conference on January 25, at Base Camp Ayanganna. The conference, which concludes today, is being held under the theme “Effective Transformation for Total National Defence”.
“Several Corps of the Force are being re-formed and re-capitalised. The Agriculture Corps will embark on agro-processing in order to produce foods, which can be preserved and packaged as compact rations for soldiers on long-range patrols and field operations and as emergency supplies to citizens affected by natural disasters such as floods. The Air Corps and Coast Guard will be upgraded to allow for continuous surveillance over our airspace, maritime space and land-space and to support search-and-rescue services to persons in distress. The Engineer Corps will be restructured and re-equipped to enable it to reengage in the development of public infrastructure and assist in disaster relief efforts in other countries affected by natural disasters. The Corps will expand the Force’s capability to generate electrical energy from renewable sources in all military bases and camps,” he said.
The Commander-in-Chief pointed out that the GDF is being strengthened as a well-organised, well-commanded, well-trained and well-equipped Force. “The Force is being brought up to its authorised strength to allow it to be deployed to any part of the country, in any weather or terrain and at short notice. The ‘reserve force’ – the Guyana People’s Militia – is being re-built in every administrative region. The Militia is an essential arm of the Regional system. Each regional capital town will have its own unit, eventually, to enable to respond more promptly to render assistance to residents in the event of emergencies. The Force is the premier agency charged with responsibility to protect our homeland against the new security threats such as environmental degradation, flooding and drought. The Force is being readied to support the Government’s law-enforcement efforts to combat trafficking in illegal weapons and narcotics and transnational terrorism. The Force will support, also, green initiatives aimed at reducing its carbon footprint,’ he said.
The President also highlighted the recent re-establishment of the National Cadet Corps (NCC) which, he noted was in keeping with the restructuring of the Force. NCC training centers, he said, will be built in all of Guyana ‘s Regions complimenting the Militia Drill Halls. “The Corps will inculcate the five standards of Service embodied in the Force’s Manual of Values and Standards, especially “…responsibility; respect for the law; respect for others; correct conduct; and appropriate social behaviour.” Service in the Corps will expose young Guyanese to the country’s distinctive landscapes and diverse cultures. The Corps will develop their leadership skills and team work and prepare youths for citizenship,” he said.
Recognising that the Force faces numerous challenges in safeguarding the national territory including airspace, borders, marine resources and rivers, the Head of State assured all that the government was dedicated to and working to have these issues addressed in a practical manner. “The vast areas, long distances and small aviation and maritime fleets available to our Air Corps and Coast Guard, respectively, limit our ability to effectively control our air and maritime zones. The Essequibo River, our largest river, does not have a single bridge. The Rupununi, our largest region, does not have a single highway. Access to nearly seventy-five percent of our country which is covered with forests is difficult, a situation compounded by inadequate infrastructure – such as aerodromes, bridges, highways and stellings. Infrastructural development is a top national priority. The Force’s technical corps must be strengthened to allow it to contribute effectively to national development and to execute its mandate of protecting the territory and preventing transnational crime. National defence is inseparable from national development. Public infrastructure enables public security by guaranteeing safety for our citizens and providing comfort for investors and visitors,” he said.
Addressing the matter of Guyana’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, President Granger said that the Government is very aware of its responsibility to ensure that these remain protected and preserved. He pointed out that the government has engaged in several diplomatic initiatives over the past 32 months. “These efforts have been all aimed at reaching a peaceful resolution to the territorial controversy which arose out of the contention by the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela that the arbitral award of October 1899, by which Guyana’s borders were formally delimited under international law, was null. Guyana is still engaged in a renewed Good Offices process but we remain confident that the process will eventuate in a juridical settlement of this controversy – one that has stymied the development of our state since Independence. The Force has embarked on a programme of long-range patrols aimed at re-affirming our national territorial borders – from Punta Playa to the Kutari and from Ankoko to Orealla,” he said.
Earlier, Chief-of-Staff Brigadier Patrick West had delivered a detailed presentation in which he reviewed the GDF’s activities in 2017 and highlighted projections for operational and administrative actions throughout 2018. Brigadier West noted that, several changes occurring in Guyana, particularly on the economic front, will most likely demand a more robust GDF “footprint” on the national landscape. In this regard, he said that the Force will continue working on enhancing its capabilities in order to continue being the stable band in the Guyanese society and ensuring the security of all Guyanese citizens.
