One of the largest military exercises in years began this week in a remote desert region far to the south, with around 30,000 troops, hundreds of armored vehicles and dozens of aircraft taking part. The drills, staged by a regional power only a few dozen kilometers from a disputed border, are being watched closely by neighboring states and by governments further afield, including the country’s own.
Footage released by the organizers shows long columns of tanks and transport vehicles moving across the dunes at dusk, followed by live-fire drills and helicopter landings. The defense ministry that organized the exercise says it is purely defensive and will last two weeks.
Concern across the border
Neighboring governments are less convinced. Officials in two bordering states said they had not received advance notice of the exercise’s size, as required under a regional confidence-building agreement, and one has placed its own border units on higher alert.
Exercises of this size close to a border always carry a risk of misunderstanding. What is needed now is transparency and open lines of communication.
Helena Marsh, analyst at an independent security institute in Riverton
The organizers rejected the criticism, saying observers from friendly nations had been invited and the dates had been announced months in advance.
Riverton urges restraint
The country’s foreign ministry said in a statement on Wednesday that it was following developments closely and called on all sides to avoid steps that could raise tensions. It also advised citizens traveling in the region to stay away from border areas and to register with the nearest embassy.
Although the region is far away, the drills matter at home. Several companies from Northvale supply industrial equipment to the area, and fuel prices could react to any instability along important shipping and pipeline routes.
Lawmakers from the opposition Progress Party asked the government to brief the National Assembly’s foreign affairs committee. The governing Civic Union said a briefing would take place next week.
What happens next
Diplomats say the coming days will be decisive. If the exercise ends on schedule and troops return to their bases, tensions are likely to ease. Any extension, or movement of units closer to the border, would be read as a serious signal.
An international summit on regional security is scheduled for next month, and several delegations have said the exercise will be high on the agenda.
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