KIGALI - After a first joint military exercise between EAC forces, partner states will next month hold another almost similar session in Uganda’s Northern district of Kitgum.

The new session will be code-named ‘Exercise Natural Fire’ and will held between October 16 – 25.

"Its objectives will mainly be to enhance humanitarian and civic assistance or disaster relief capability and to enhance logistic planning,” army spokesperson Maj. Jill Rutaremara said yesterday.

"It will also improve the capability of the military to work with other institutions like police and civil society.”
The training session will take on 133 persons from each partner state.

"It is a humanitarian and disaster relief exercise planned jointly by the EAC partner states and the US government, particularly AFRICOM.”

The United States African Command (AFRICOM) has already set up a support fund to meet some of the expenses that will be incurred.

According to Rutaremara, AFRICOM has injected over $1m in the exercise.

Earlier this month, the bloc’s armies started a three-week joint military exercise – "Ex-Mlima Kilimanjaro 2009” – conducted in Arusha and Tanga regions of Tanzania, to test the capability of EAC’s rapid reaction forces.

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