Visiting Zambian commander requests military training from genocidal Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 25 February 2020, 22:13 GMT]
The Republic of Zambia, a landlocked Southern-Central African country, which is struggling with spiralling debt due to China’s Road and Belt Initiative (BRI) investments, has stepped up bilateral relationships with the SL State since last year during Maithiripala Sirisena’s presidency. Zambian Army Commander Lieutenant General William Sikazwe is on a five-day visit to the island since Friday to strengthen the military training and cooperation ties between the countries. Acting SL Chief of Defence Staff and Army Commander Shavendra Silva met the Zambian commander on Monday and discussed bilateral cooperation and exchange of training programmes with the visiting Zambian commander.

The visiting Zambian Army Commander Sikazwe has requested the SL Army to provide training to the Zambian Army, reported SL State-owned paper, Daily News on Tuesday.

“Army Commander Lt. Gen.Shavendra Silva said he would convey this request to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the Defence Secretary for necessary action,” the Daily News report added.

A news release by the SL Army’s website on Monday said a six-member delegation accompanied the visiting commander. The Zambian commander would be meeting SL President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, SL Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and the commanders of the SL Air Force and the SL Navy, the news release by the SLA said.

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