The Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF) on Thursday, November 5, completed a verification exercise of Rwanda's preparedness to contribute troops, police officers and civilian personnel to regional peace support operations. The six-day exercise examined the country's pledged capabilities to establish whether they meet the requirements for deployment in regional peace and security missions. ALSO READ: Gen Rwivanga takes over as director of Eastern African Standby Force The assessment led by Brig Gen Ronald Rwivanga, the Director of EASF, covered military, police and civilian resources, with a focus on their readiness, operational effectiveness and ability to respond whenever the regional force is called upon. The closing ceremony was held at Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) Headquarters on Thursday and was presided over by Maj Gen Ephraim Rurangwa, Chief of Staff of the RDF Military Health Service. ALSO READ: EASF military exercise tests region's readiness for crises Rurangwa emphasized that the strength of EASF depended not only on the resources pledged by member states but also on the shared commitment, determination and cooperation underpinning them. He further noted that the effectiveness of the regional force depended not only on what member states committed but also on their willingness to work together and honour those commitments. Rwanda is among the Eastern African countries that contribute military, police and civilian capabilities to the standby force, which is designed to support regional peace and security operations.
