Ninety one Non Commissioned Officers (NCOs) from the East Africa Community countries completed a three-month course at Gabiro Combat Training Centre at the weekend.The Chief of Defence Staff of the Rwanda Defence Forces, Gen. Patrick Nyamvumba, who presided over the function said that the joint training would help in the harmonisation of doctrine among EAC defence forces.Gen. Nyamvumba said that joint training of armed forces from the partner states would help achieve a harmonised doctrine to facilitate interoperability of forces during exercises and future multinational operations.“The course was in line with the implementation of the EAC Sectoral Council decision on Defence Cooperation. Gabiro was adopted unanimously as the EAC NCO Centre of Excellence,” he said. “The graduands will be able to deal with their duties of command effectively. The knowledge and skills exhibited by the officers, sets good precedent as far as achieving our goals in the EAC is concerned.”The official closure of the course was preceded by trainees’ demonstrations of combat drills and award of certificates to the best three students.Col Denis Rutaha, the Commandant of the centre, said the training facility offered participants skills, tactics, leadership, human resource management, military ethics and values.The event was also attended by among others Gen. James Hoth Mai, the Chief of General Staff of Sudanese People’s Liberation Army (SPLA), Southern Sudan.
