In May, Rwanda Defence Force (RDF)’s Brigadier General Ronald Rwivanga took over as Director 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 EASF is one of the five regional multidimensional forces under the African Standby Force (ASF), bringing together military, police, and civilian components. In an interview with The Context by The New Times, Rwivanga discussed the force’s readiness and its role in regional security, the impact of conflicts between member states, security challenges linked to the conflict in eastern DR Congo, and cooperation between regional security mechanisms.
