East Africa: Eastern Africa Standby Force Member States Convene in Rwanda for Disaster Response Harmonisation

25 March 2024
The New Times (Kigali)
By Emmanuel Ntirenganya

The Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF) member states are convening in Kigali, Rwanda, for a four-day session aimed at assessing their disaster readiness, promoting collaboration, and exchanging best practices to strengthen preparedness, according to a statement issued by Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) on March 25.

Also read: Countries commit forces to Eastern Africa Standby Force

The workshop's main objective is to harmonise disaster and pandemic response strategies across the EASF region, while formulating a practical implementation plan for proactive action under the Humanitarian Action and Natural disasters (HANDS) framework.

On behalf of RDF Chief of Defence Staff, Col Claudien Bizimungu, Deputy Commander of the Engineer Command, emphasised the workshop's role as a catalyst for establishing a dynamic platform conducive to collaboration, exchanging best practices, and enhancing collective disaster response capabilities.

Bizimungu urged participants to approach discussions with openness, creativity, and a shared sense of purpose, underscoring the importance of working towards building a safer, more resilient Eastern African region.

Brig Gen (Rtd) Paul Kahuria Njema, Director of the Secretariat of the Eastern Africa Standby Force, highlighted the regions' multiple crises, exerting significant pressure on governments and communities. He urged member states to fully engage in collective initiatives towards safeguarding the EASF population and the entire African continent.

Njema reaffirmed EASF's commitment to collaborating closely with its member states, AU [African Union], and all stakeholders to bolster its ability to respond effectively to crises.

Eastern Africa Standby Force is a regional organisation whose mandate is to enhance peace and security in the Eastern Africa region. It was established as a regional mechanism to provide capability for rapid deployment of forces to carry out preventive deployment, rapid intervention, peace support/stability operations and peace enforcement, according to information from the organisation.

Read the original article on New Times.

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