SOUTH Africa will next month host the continent’s largest-ever peacekeeping exercise. South African National Defence Force spokesperson Brigadier-General Brand Haasbroek said in Pretoria on Thursday that the exercise, called Operation Blue Crane, will involve some 4500 personnel from 26 countries, and will cost R20-million. Foreign affairs deputy director Betsie Smith said: “It is the largest peacekeeping exercise ever organised in Africa. It should culminate in the region having a real and usable capacity to take part in peacekeeping endeavours.” The exercise, to be run from April 22 to 26 at the Lohatlha army battle school in the Northern Cape, is financed by aid from European donors, with several Western military powers loaning hardware.