The Minister of Defence, James Kabarebe, has urged the East African Community (EAC) partner states to conclude all negotiations and ratify regional defence protocols. While officially opening the joint EAC military field training exercise codenamed Ushirikiano Imara 2012, Kabarebe said, "There is urgent need to begin and conclude negotiations for the mutual defence pact, and this will ease our work towards having a common defence mechanism to defend the entire EAC region from the security challenges and to reap the benefits of the integration”.The exercise which has brought together 1,680 armed forces personnel and civilians will be held at Rwanda Military Academy-Gako, in eastern province as well as Lake Kivu in Rubavu District in Western Province.The exercise is aimed at improving the capabilities of EAC partner states’ armed forces to combat complex security challenges that might besiege the region.This follows the 10th extra-ordinary Summit of EAC Heads of State that approved and signed the EAC protocol on co-operation in defence.  The summit directed that the protocol be ratified and instruments of ratification deposited with the EAC Secretary General by November 30, 2012.If the protocol is ratified, it will provide a clear guidance on the cooperation of regional armed forces as well as defence mechanism for the benefit of the region.The training is focusing on peace support operations, disaster management, counterterrorism and counter piracy.Kabarebe observed that the regional forces have already been cooperating in various missions, citing Somalia, Darfur and South Sudan, where the forces are helping in peace keeping under different auspices.The Secretary General of East African Community, Dr Richard Sezibera, commended the partner states for implementing the EAC defence agreement by having the military training, what he said, was a clear signal to the commitment of implementing the regional protocol.He further reiterated the need by member states to ratify the defense protocol before the November.  "We know the critical role defence has to play, therefore in this regard, the Secretariat will intensify the development of the mechanism for cooperation on defence,” Sezibera said.He commended Kenyan forces for their exemplary work in liberating Kismayo in the southern part of Somalia that had been almost twenty years under the brutal rule of militants. He also commended the regional forces in Darfur and South Sudan for promoting peace in the region.The Chief of Defence Staff of the Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF), Lt. Gen Charles Kayonga, said that the successful conduct of the exercise will not only enhance the working relationship between the regional armies, but also build the capacity to plan and mitigate the contemporary challenges faced in the region as well as the entire world.The opening was graced by regional top military officers, ministers, EALA members and ambassadors.