The first day of 'Exercise Stronghold,' a two-day security drill conducted by Antigua and Barbuda's national security forces, concluded successfully Wednesday morning with a briefing at the National Performing Arts Centre on High Street.
The exercise serves as a precursor to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), scheduled to be held in Antigua and Barbuda in November.
Led by the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda and the Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force (ABDF), alongside other security agencies, the drill involved a 'soft lockdown' of a designated security perimeter known as 'the Red Zone.' The zone is bordered by Corn Alley to the west, Parliament Drive to the east, New Street to the south, and Upper Newgate Street to Old Parham Road to the north. Vehicular traffic within the area was restricted, and pedestrian movement on Upper High Street was prohibited.
The CHOGM Media and Public Affairs Committee outlined the scope of the exercise in a press release. Security teams conducted a briefing with members of the National CHOGM Task Force and other stakeholders at the top of High Street, explaining the significance of the drill.
ABDF Brigadier Telbert Benjamin stressed the importance of decisiveness and preparedness at this stage of planning. "I am going to use a phrase popularized by High Commissioner Karen-Mae Hill; the days for 'I don't know', 'I am not sure'; those things are gone. We are at the stage in preparation where we either say 'yes' or 'no'," he told those in attendance. "This is not an opportunity for guessing. This is an opportunity for us to learn what everyone else is doing and how what we do fits into the overall plan."
Benjamin also acknowledged the scale of the undertaking. "It is beyond anything we have done before, but we have passed the stage when we can say 'we can't do it'; we are at the stage where we have to do it," he declared.
Commissioner of Police Everton Jeffers reinforced the need for full participation from all key stakeholders at every exercise. "We have to operate today as how we would operate on Friday or on the actual day of the event. This means if you are supposed to be here, I expect that you would be here because if you are here you would know what will happen on the day of the event," he said.
Security personnel noted that many of the areas and buildings surrounding the main venue will be secured for the ceremony and urged all participants to be punctual.
The exercise wrapped up with a full briefing at the new National Performing Arts Centre, where security personnel provided an overview of expected procedures on the day of the event. Wednesday's drill ended at approximately 10:00 a.m. — two full hours ahead of schedule. Barriers were subsequently removed and normal traffic and activities resumed. Day two of the exercise is scheduled for Friday.
