APA – Kigali (Rwanda)
Rwanda has taken over the leadership of the East African Standby Forces (EASF) from Kenya, authoritative sources confirmed on Monday in Kigali.
According to the sources, the handover ceremony was conducted at the weekend in Nairobi, Kenya during the meeting that brought together the Ministers of Defense in the East African Community (EAC) and the Comoros.
It was gathered that the Kenyan Defence Cabinet Secretary, Aden Duale, handed over the chairmanship of the Council of Ministers of Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF) to his Rwanda counterpart Juvenal Marizamunda during the meeting in Nairobi.
The EASF is the regional organisation whose mandate is to enhance peace and security in the Eastern African region.
After the one-year tenure, Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary of Defense handed over the leadership symbols and tools of office to the incoming chairman, Marizamunda.
The ceremony was marked with a short march pass with the EASF and EAC flags were held high.
In his speech, Duale expressed confidence on his successor Marizamunda, saying that it has been a pleasure serving the community despite the current challenges in the region.
Responding, Marizamunda said that he would work closely with member states, all partners and friends of EASF to promote a safer and more secured Eastern Africa region.
“Our collective efforts will undoubtedly contribute to a broader goal of contributing peace and stability on the African continent,” Marizamunda said.
The ministers also adopted the resolution of the African Union (AU) on 17th of January 2024,that called on Ethiopia and Somalia to refrain from actions and utterances that may negatively impact on the strong bond and good neighbourhood within the EAC Community.
CU/GIK/APA