Rwanda Defence Force (RDF)’s Maj. Gen. Ronald Rwivanga has taken over leadership of the Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF), a regional security organisation mandated to promote peace and stability across Eastern Africa. Rwivanga, who had served as RDF spokesperson since December 2020, succeeded Kenya’s Brig. Gen. Paul Kahuria Njema, who completed a three-year term. The handover ceremony took place on Wednesday, May 20, in Kampala, Uganda. ALSO READ: Gen Rwivanga takes over as director of Eastern African Standby Force The EASF is one of the five regional multidimensional forces under the African Standby Force (ASF), bringing together military, police, and civilian components. It was established as a regional mechanism for the rapid deployment of forces to undertake preventive missions, rapid interventions, peace support and stability operations, as well as peace enforcement missions. The organisation comprises 10 member states: Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan, and Uganda. Here is what to know more about the EASF: 1. A mechanism to provide capability for rapid deployment The EASF was established to provide the capability for rapid deployment of forces to undertake preventive deployment, rapid intervention, as well as peace enforcement missions. It also seeks to maintain a fully operational and multidimensional standby force ready to respond to emerging crises. The establishment of the EASF partly stemmed from resolutions made during the inaugural African Union Summit in Durban, South Africa, in 2002, where African leaders pointed out the need for a common African defence and security mechanism capable of addressing threats to stability, security, and cooperation on the continent. The EASF is part of the African Union’s broader peace and security architecture, which includes conflict prevention, early warning systems, preventive diplomacy, peace-building, humanitarian action, and disaster management. ALSO READ: Gen. Rwivanga briefs Zambian students on African security solutions The memorandum of understanding establishing the EASF was signed in April 2005 and later amended in January 2011. 2. Former after painful lessons from past experiences The creation of the EASF was informed by lessons drawn from conflicts that devastated parts of Africa, including the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, the wars in Sudan, and the prolonged conflict in Somalia. The organisation recognises that Eastern Africa continues to face security threats and internal conflicts that affect peace and stability across the region. 3. Led by heads of state, meets annually The affairs of the EASF are managed through policy organs operating at three levels: the Assembly of Eastern Africa Heads of State and Government, the Council of Ministers of Defence and Security, and the Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff. The Assembly is the supreme authority of the EASF and consists of heads of state and government from member countries. It formulates policy, directs the functioning of the organisation, and authorises the deployment of EASF forces in accordance with African Union frameworks. The Assembly meets once a year and may convene additional sessions at the request of a member state and with the support of the majority of member countries. Below the Assembly is the Council of Ministers, composed of ministers responsible for defence and security in member states that are signatories to the memorandum of understanding. The Council oversees all aspects of the EASF and appoints the director, heads of departments, and commanders of EASF structures based on recommendations from the Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff. It meets twice annually. The Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff, made up of military chiefs from member states, serves as the advisory military body to both the Council and the Assembly. It oversees the Planning Element, the standby brigade headquarters, and the logistics base, while also guiding the EASF Secretariat on technical matters. The committee also meets twice a year. 4. Has a full-time planning department The EASF operates a Planning Element (PLANELM) based in Nairobi, Kenya. The PLANELM functions as a multinational and multidimensional full-time planning headquarters within the African Standby Force framework. Its role is to plan and prepare for complex peace support operations, including reconnaissance, mobilisation, deployment, and management of brigade-sized missions involving military, police, and civilian personnel. The PLANELM comprises military, police, and civilian personnel.
