Rwanda hosts Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF) Policy Organs Meetings

Kigali, 14 December 2020

Peace and Security leaders in the Eastern Africa Region are in Rwanda, Kigali from 14th to 18th December 2020, to participate in the 28th Ordinary Policy Organs Meetings that include Council of Ministers of Defence and Security, meeting of the Eastern Africa Chiefs of Defence and Security and Experts Working Group meeting.

The aim of the above mentioned five-day meetings is to draft a Concept on Countering Asymmetric Threats which gained traction in the aftermath of 9/11, a global phenomenon that poses a regional and international security threat.

As a regional organisation whose mandate is to enhance peace and security in the Eastern Africa region, the Eastern Africa 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 would deal with asymmetric threats. These components stay 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. The Republic of South Sudan enjoys the status of observer in EASF since April 2013 and is expected to become a full member any time soon.

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