Meles, who is also Commander-in-Chief of the National Defense Force, said the Ethiopian defense force is the last ditch to the peace and development of the nation.

The premier made the statement here on Saturday after handing over diplomas and certificates to graduating 70 senior military officers and special awards to outstanding ones.

The graduates were attending various courses on military science and other related fields of study during the last three years.

Meles said a strong national defense force is required to prevent the activities of anti peace forces and to incapacitate such forces within the shortest time possible whenever required.

Bearing this in mind, Meles said, the government has been striving to boost the capacity of the defense force without impeding the development agenda of the nation.

The ministry of defense has been undertaking multifaceted capacity building programs during the last few years in order to transform the defense force into a new and advanced force.

The ministry has also been establishing higher learning institutions over the last few years in order to boost the capacity of the ministry, he said, out of which this senior military staff college is a case in point.

Meles urged the graduates on the occasion that the graduates should be duty bound to efficiently utilize and share the knowledge and skills they obtained during the course of the training.

The defense force should not only be ready to win a war whenever it is necessary but also to complement national efforts toward extricating the country out of poverty and backwardness.

College commander, Brigadier General Megbe Haile said 40 of the graduates, who are senior military officers out of which three of them are generals, received first degrees after completion of two and a half years of training.

The remaining ones received certificates upon completion theoretical and practical training for six months, according to the commander.

R- 3:35-4:28 pm

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