Minister of Defence, Maj Gen Albert Murasira, on Friday, December 18, appealed to his counterparts as well as Defence Chiefs from 10 Eastern African countries to redouble efforts in confronting forms of war and conflict in the region.
The Minister was presiding over the opening session of the Council of Ministers of Defence and Security of the 28th Ordinary Policy Organs Meetings of Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF) member states.
Friday's session wraps up deliberations that started in Kigali on Monday, with an experts working group meeting.
Murasira told participants that the region is facing numerous threats to development and the situation in the larger Horn of Africa remains of particular concern.
"It is time to redouble our efforts in confronting these forms of conflict and war in the region and re-align our strategies to emerging conflict situations and scenarios," Murasira said.
"This includes enhancing the early warning systems which may help prevent conflict and identify mechanisms and interventions at various stages, and elaborate our crisis response mechanism."
EASF member states on December 14 started a five-day policy organ meeting in Kigali aimed at drafting a concept on countering security threats that have regional and international dimensions.
On Wednesday, Lt Gen Jean-Jacques Mupenzi, Rwanda's Army Chief of Staff, admitted that "our region continues to face challenges of conflict that impact peace and stability in some of our member states."
Acts of violence, terrorism, and violent extremism, especially in the horn of Africa region and the DR Congo, he said, continue impacting the region and call for concerted effort.
The meeting ends Friday afternoon with the approval of EASF policy documents for 2021 such as the organisation's budget, a new strategic plan, and the activity plan which was much discussed during the weeklong closed sessions.
On Friday, EASF chairmanship officially changed hands from the Union of Comoros to Djibouti.
The EASF, a regional organisation whose mandate is to enhance peace and security in the Eastern Africa region, comprises 10 active member states: Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan and Uganda.
The Force is one of the five regional multidimensional forces of the African Standby Force (ASF) comprising military, police and civilian components. The components stay on standby for rapid deployment at appropriate notice as provided for in the peace support operations scenarios of the ASF.
In an August 2014 pledging conference, held in Kigali, countries committed to raising a military fighting force of 5,000 troops.
EASF declared full operational capability in December 2014 with an equipped multidimensional and multinational force of 5,200 personnel - military, police and civilian components.
Rwanda's Brig. Gen. Gatama is EASF Force Commander, based at the body's staff headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Gatama was until recently the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF)’s chief of personnel and administration. Before then, he was commander of RDF’s Second Division in Northern Province.