A contingent of 95 personnel from Rwanda Defence Force, Rwanda National Police and civilians is today set to leave Kigali to participate in a two weeks regional Field Training Exercise (FTX) in Sudan.

The contingent will be led by Brig Gen Vincent Gatama.

The military exercise codenamed ‘MASHARIKI SALAAM II’ is organised by the Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF).

It will take place in Port Sudan, a port city in the eastern part of the country from November 25 to December 3, 2017.

"The exercise is a key benchmark to test the organisation’s ability to respond to crisis’ situations in the region and beyond when tasked or mandated to do so by the African Union,” a statement from EASF said.

According to organisers, the training is aimed to train and test EASF’s ability to plan force generation, deployment, sustainment and recovery of a multinational and multidimensional force.

Addressing RDF officers and troops meant to go for the exercise in a gathering at Kami barracks, last week, the Army Chief of Staff (ACOS), Maj Gen Jacques Musemakweli urged them to be professional and reflect the good image of Rwanda during the exercise that will gather 10 countries forming EASF.

"You have to observe good conduct and professional ethics. You should exercise high standards practices known for RDF and please don’t disappoint the leadership that selected you for this exercise,” Gen Musemakweli told the contingent.

He further advised them to keep focused during the training and observe high level of discipline.

About 1000 military, police and civilians from the 10 EASF member countries namely Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan and Uganda will participate in the Exercise.

Since EASF was established in 2004, it has conducted FTX and Command Post Exercises (CPX); a CPX in Kenya in 2008, a FTX in Djibouti in 2009, a CPX in Sudan 2011, an FTX in Uganda in 2013 and a CPX in Ethiopia in 2014.