EAC member states to hold joint peacekeeping training

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Representatives from the different national armed forces within the East African Community-EAC member states, alongside their counterparts from the EAC secretariat, have camped at Jinja city based Source of the Nile hotel for a three day conference with an aim of formulating modules that will foster a joint Field Training Exercise-FTX 2020.

The FTX codenamed “Ushilikiano Imara,” was meant to be hosted in Uganda late last year however, due to the increasing cases of Covid-19, it was postponed.

This year’s FTX will attract prisons officers, military, police, immigration and select civilians from each of the partner states.

FTX exercises are rotationally hosted by each of the EAC states after every two years.

The FTX aims at fostering collective participation of EAC armed forces in tackling future threats to peace and stability within the region. The delegates will also jointly share presentations on how to effectively deal with terrorism, piracy, disaster management and how best member states can jointly respond to peace support operations in the sub region.

While addressing journalists on Wednesday, Brig. B. Koril of the Kenya armed forces, who is the chairman of this FTX planning conference, has implored armed forces to continuously invest in joint peacekeeping efforts, as the vice increases security vigilance throughout the EAC region.

Col. Raphael Kiptoo attached to EAC’s secretariat says that this FTX is a continuation of the post command exercise which was held in Uganda in 2019. Kiptoo says that the FTX will comprise of drills and other field based physical exercises presided over by instructors from each of the partner states.

Kiptoo further stresses that both the planning meetings and the FTX shall be conducted in complete adherence to the Covid-19 standard control protocols, so as control infections among the delegates.

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