KIGALI - The on-going East African Community (EAC) joint military exercise has been commended by Rwanda Defence Forces as a means of enhancing the capacity of national armies.

This was revealed yesterday to The New Times by RDF Spokesman Maj. Jill Rutaremara.

"For us, it is to develop that capacity and experience, as well as readiness to deal with problems. Even if we are doing it together at the EAC level, at the national level, we should have the capacity to deal with disaster issues – these regional efforts come to supplement our own efforts,” Rutaremara said.

"That capacity can also be used elsewhere to help others – look at our peace keeping efforts in Darfur for example”.

"We would be in a much better position to deal with crisis and help other people be it in the region or in Darfur and further”.

Rwanda has over 2,500 troops deployed in Sudan’s volatile western region of Darfur and is considered the world’s 6th biggest troop contributing nation to UN Peace Keeping Missions.

The five member-state armies are currently undertaking the first-ever joint field training exercise, codenamed "Ex-Mlima Kilimanjaro 2009,” in Arusha and Tanga regions in Tanzania.
Over 300 Rwandan troops are participating in the joint exercise.

Defence Minister Gen. Marcel Gatsinzi and the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Gen. James Kabarebe, are scheduled to attend the official closing ceremony in Tanzania this Wednesday.

Ends