APA – Kigali (Rwanda) – More than 600 troops from the six East African Community (EAC) member states except South Sudan and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are scheduled to carry out joint drills in Rwanda, a military said Sunday.
The military statement issued said the troops from Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi will be joined by civilians in the two-week-long exercise at the Rwanda military command and staff College Nyakinama in Northern Rwanda.
The exercise is set to test the readiness of the troops to respond to complex security challenges, according to the statement.
Juvenal Marizamunda, Minister of Defense, while presiding over the opening of the exercise pointed out that the [East Africa] region’s operating environment remains one of the most affected areas with recurring conflicts, many of which are cross-border and asymmetric in nature.
“Contemporary security challenges have shown that no individual nation can operate in isolation,” the senior Rwandan Government official said.
According to Maj. Gen Ali Mzee Katimbe, representative of the EAC, the exercise will mainly focus on four areas of cooperation: military training, joint operations, technical operations and visits, and the exchange of information.
“The security challenges faced within our region are addressed through these military exercises, which help our armies build the required capabilities,” he said.
The drills, which have been conducted since 2005 under various themes, are conducted in accordance with the EAC Protocol on Cooperation in Defense Affairs. The exercises are conducted on a rotational basis among the partner states every two years.
CU/abj/APA