A total of 150 troops of the Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF) yesterday returned from field a training exercise conducted by the Eastern African Standby Brigade (EASBRIG) in Djibouti.

The troops, who arrived in two different batches, were based in Holoholo and were received at the Kigali International Airport by the Commandant of the General headquarters Brigadier General Augustin Turagara.

Captain Jimmy Bwenge, who headed the first group, said that the ten day training exercise focused on peacekeeping operations and disaster preparedness.

"We gained a lot of knowledge especially on how to undertake a peace keeping operation. It gave us good training in handling conflict-ridden situations,” Bwenge added.

The soldiers, who form the EASBRIG battalion in Rwanda, were part of a strong force of armies from other member states of the brigade.  

Presently, EASBRIG’s mission is to develop a fully operational multi-dimensional and integrated standby force that will be ready for deployment by 2015, with an initial operational capability by 2010.

The force was drawn from the 13 member states that included; Rwanda, Uganda, Djibouti, Kenya, Seychelles, Burundi, Sudan, and Tanzania.

EASBRIG member countries aim to develop a continental capability to respond to crises like conflicts and disasters.

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