EAST AFRICAN STANDBY FORCE MEMBER STATES CONVENE IN RWANDA TO ENHANCE CRISIS RESPONSE CAPABILITIES

Kigali, 1 April 2025

The East African Standby Force (EASF) and Rwandan agencies involved in early warning systems are convening in Kigali for a three-day meeting focused on strengthening regional collaboration to improve preparedness, prevention, and timely responses to national security challenges, health threats, disease outbreaks, and disaster-related emergencies.

The meeting aims to enhance collaboration between the EASF Early Warning System and Rwandan agencies to improve information exchange, situational awareness, and develop a framework for coordinated action in response to emerging threats and crises in Eastern Africa.

On behalf of the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) Chief of Defence Staff, Brig Gen Ronald Rwivanga, the Defence Spokesperson underscored the importance of collaboration among EASF member states in achieving sustainable peace and responding swiftly to evolving challenges such as disasters.

“Early warning facilitates the secure exchange of information and knowledge between organisations and offers solutions for responding quickly to evolving challenges such as drought, crop failure, loss of livestock, famine, and, ultimately, conflict. Therefore, achieving sustainable peace in the region demands a concerted commitment from all stakeholders, including the local communities where conflicts originate, who must be empowered to participate in finding lasting solutions to these challenges. Only then can we hope that the solution will be more sustainable,” stressed Brig Gen Rwivanga.

He further encouraged participants to collaborate closely, drawing on their diverse expertise and shared experiences, to strengthen Early Warning and Early Response systems, anticipating challenges and addressing them before they escalate.

Brig Gen Domitien Kabisa, Head of the Peace Operations Department of EASF, emphasised that member states face shared and unique threats, including tensions, conflicts, environmental degradation, transnational crime, maritime threats, and climate security challenges, which undermine socio-economic development. Enhanced regional collaboration is essential to predict, prevent, and manage these issues.

As a regional organisation whose mandate is to enhance peace and security in the Eastern African region, the East African Standby Force is one of the five regional multidimensional forces of the African Standby Force (ASF), consisting of Military, Police, and Civilian components, which, among other things, address asymmetric threats. These components remain on standby for rapid deployment at appropriate notice, as provided for in the peace support operations scenarios of the ASF.

EASF draws its membership from ten active Member States, namely Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan, and Uganda.