Kenyan officer: Terrorism fight needs concerted efforts

Regional countries need to set up collaboration to curb the terrorism menace, a top military officer from Kenya National Defence College has said.Brig. Gen. DP Okwano, who is leading a team of 14 generals and other senior officers from the Kenyan National Defence College, said it was imperative for countries to join efforts in curbing terrorist activities within the region.The officers, who hail from different countries, are in Rwanda for a seven-day study tour.Gen. Okwano spoke after meeting with Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF) Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Patrick Nyamvumba at the Ministry of Defence offices in Kigali.The study tour is aimed at enhancing their knowledge about strategic issues of defence in various countries.“Nobody can fight terrorism in the world alone but states can collaborate and curb terrorism in our countries,” Gen. Okwano said in an interview.He added that the course at the college equipped them with skills on how to curb terrorism.The delegation comprised officers from various African countries, including Burundi, Botswana, Kenya, Namibia Tanzania and Zimbabwe.East Africa is of late prone to terrorism acts. In September, more than 70 people lost their lives after militants attacked Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi.Somali insurgents, al-Shabaab, claimed responsibility for the attack.Al-Shabaab, an affiliate of al-Qaeda, is the most vicious terrorist group operating in Africa.Brig. Gen. Joseph Nzabamwita, the defence and military spokesperson, said the visitors were briefed on the RDF contribution toward the socio-economic development of the country since the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.They also discussed RDF’s role in peacekeeping missions in the region.RDF has troops in Sudan’s volatile Darfur region.The delegation intends to visit various defence projects, military training institutions, agro-business factories and manufacturing firms before they wind up their tour.