Elwelu tasks region’s armies to fight new security threats

Jinja, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Lt. Gen. Peter Elwelu, the Deputy Chief of Uganda People’s Defense Forces-UPDF has challenged armed forces from the East African Community-EAC member states to devise means of jointly averting security threats within the region so as to ensure their sovereignty.

Addressing members of armed forces and selected civilians from the EAC member states ahead of the two weeks joint field training exercise at  Gaddaffi barracks in Jinja on Friday, Elwelu said that the region is faced with evolving modern security threats, which are better addressed through synergies from the affected countries.

He noted that a well-coordinated joint force with expertise in counterterrorism, counterpiracy, and specialists in disaster management will greatly contribute to the region’s ability to independently handle both her political and security affairs with limited influence-peddling by what he termed as selfish individuals.

Elwelu argued that a joint force will enable the EAC block to collectively safeguard their mineral wealth and resources from opportunists with selfish interests in exploiting the region without contributing any economic growth to the people.

Gaspard Banyankimbona, the Executive Secretary of EAC’s interuniversity council, said that the joint exercise is instrumental in fostering information sharing, which can culminate in effective command and control amongst armed forces within the region.

Banyankimbona adds that the armed forces alongside civilians sourced from the different participating countries are a great foundation of cohesion in economic security.

The Director of the Exercise, Maj. Gen. Don Nabasa said that the participants will involve themselves in civil-military relations activities, aimed at strengthening their relationship within the local communities.

“Our teams are constructing a two-classroom block in Nsuube primary school, another two classroom block at Nyenga primary school, and a maternity building at Ivunamba health center II in Jinja city, which will be handed over to the beneficiary communities,” he said.

The exercise has attracted 1533 participants drawn from Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, Burundi, Rwanda, and South Sudan. The youngest EAC state, the Democratic Republic Of Congo, has contributed 10 observers mandated with overseeing the process before fully embracing it.

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