Ethiopia builds modern tank crew training centre – report

Feb 6, 2006 (ADDIS ABABA) — A training centre for tank and anti-tank crews, the first of its kind in eastern Africa, is about to go operational, the Ethiopian Reporter said yesterday.

The center is built by the Ethiopian Ministry of Defence at an outlay of 75m birr (8.7m dollars).

The size and modernity of centre which is built 120 km away from Addis Ababa, would make it to be one of the best in Africa as well.

The construction of the centre began three years ago and the contractor will hand it over to the Ministry of Defence next week.

The centre, built on a 2.5 ha of land in a place called Awash Arba, in central Ethiopia, includes offices, classrooms, a library, a laboratory and residential units for senior army officers.

The centre would be capable of offering training to trainees from other countries as well.

(ST/The Reporter)