Uganda is hosting Eastern Africa standby Force training exercise for rapid intervention, peace and sability at Gadaffi Garrison in Jinja.
A total of 1292 troops and civilians from ten different African countries are expected to attend the field training exercise.
The Eastern Africa Stand by Force (EASF) is a regional organisation whose mandate is to enhance regional peace and security. It is one of the five regional multi-dimensional components of the African Standby Force consisting of the military, police and civilians.
The objective of the training is to test EASF’s ability to generate, sustain and recover a multi-dimensional African Union mission, maintain and enhance regional cohesion.
The force was established in 2004 by African Union Summit to implement the ministry of defence and security rapid intervention, stability and peace enforcement.
The exercise also seeks to enforce readiness when called upon in the event of threats against any other African country.
The contingents from Burundi, Uganda, and Rwanda have already started the field simulation exercises that replicate an EASF mission. While flagging off the force on Monday Brig Nakibus Lakara, the exercise director emphasised readiness for full operational capability by 2015.
Africa countries such Kenya, Burundi, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Eretria, Djibouti, Somalia, Comoros Seychelles and Uganda have agreed to have a regional standby force during a security meeting in Seychelles in 2011.
By Edward Anyoli, The New Vision