Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has pledged to work with regional leaders to strengthen the Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF), including reviving a summit of Heads of State that has not met since 2014. Museveni made the commitment after meeting Brig Gen Ronald Rwivanga, Director of the EASF, at State House in Entebbe on August 13. ALSO READ: Africa must end reliance on external donors for peace efforts – Rwivanga The meeting focused on the force’s activities and efforts to strengthen the region’s peace and security architecture, according to Museveni. “As Chairperson of the EAC, I will engage my fellow Heads of State to strengthen the EASF, including convening its Summit, which has not met since 2014, and ensuring that the Force is adequately supported to respond to regional security and humanitarian challenges,” Museveni said. The EASF is one of five regional standby forces established under the African Union’s Peace and Security Architecture. It brings together nine member states—Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Burundi, Somalia, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Sudan and Comoros. The force is headquartered in Nairobi and is mandated to support regional responses to security and humanitarian crises, including peace support operations, conflict prevention and mediation, as well as humanitarian assistance and disaster response. ALSO READ: Gen Rwivanga takes over as director of Eastern African Standby Force Museveni’s pledge comes days after Rwivanga participated in the EASF’s 36th Ordinary Policy Organs Meeting in Uganda, where member states reviewed issues related to the force’s readiness and operations. The meeting was held alongside verification activities in Uganda, where an EASF team assessed standby elements of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces and Uganda Police Force. The EASF periodically conducts such assessments in member states to determine whether designated personnel and equipment meet the requirements for potential regional deployment. The force attained full operational readiness in 2014, the same year the EASF Heads of State Summit last met. Museveni said the proposed engagement with regional leaders would also seek to ensure the force is adequately supported to respond to security and humanitarian challenges in the region.
