THE 6TH EAC CIVIL-MILITARY WEEK CONCLUDES IN TANZANIA

The 6th EAC Armed Forces Civil-Military Cooperation (CIMIC) Week concluded on the evening of 1 September 2026 at Lugalo Golf Club in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The closing ceremony coincided with the 62nd Anniversary of the Tanzania People’s Defence Force (TPDF) and brought together representatives of EAC Partner States’ Armed Forces and EAC Secretariat officials. Maj Gen Alex Kagame, RDF Reserve Force Chief of Staff, represented the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF).

During the week, military medical teams from EAC Partner States provided free medical services to 11,439 people in Dar es Salaam, Dodoma, Zanzibar, and the Coast Region, as well as humanitarian assistance and donations. A 20-member RDF Medical Contingent deployed to Tumbi Regional Referral Hospital treated 2,874 people in collaboration with TPDF and local medical teams.

TPDF Chief of Defence Force, Gen Jacob John Mkunda, thanked EAC Armed Forces and other guests for participating in the anniversary celebrations and CIMIC Week. He called for stronger cooperation among Partner States and closer engagement between the military and civilian communities in the spirit of “one people, one destiny.”

Germana Emmanuel from Kibaha District praised the medical services at Tumbi Regional Referral Hospital, saying she and her grandchildren were treated with respect and humility. Dr Amani Malima, the hospital’s Medical Officer in Charge, said the initiative had changed the community’s perception of the military by showing that it can also care for and serve civilians.

The 6th EAC Civil-Military Week demonstrated the practical benefits of regional defence cooperation through medical services and humanitarian assistance while strengthening relations between the Armed Forces and the communities they serve.