EAC militaries gear up for joint exercise

The East African Community (EAC) armed forces are preparing for the upcoming EAC joint military training exercise code named ‘Natural Fire 11’. The Command Post exercise which is slated for 16 to 21 September at Chukwani Military Centre in Zanzibar, will bring together forces from all the five EAC partner countries. “The exercise aims at developing the capacity of EAC Defence Forces to respond quickly and efficiently to complex security challenges, harmonize the working relationship among them and foster cooperation between these forces and the United States of America,” said the Chair of Defence Liaison Officers at the EAC Secretariat, Brigadier General Salvator Nahimana, in a statement. He added that it seeks to enhance cooperation between regional Defence Forces, civil authorities and international organizations, and to also improve interoperability between the armies. Nahimana asserted that the exercise will focus on peace support operations, humanitarian assistance, and disaster response, counter terrorism and counter piracy. Officers from the EAC Partner States’ Defence Forces and the United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM) are expected in Zanzibar from today, ahead of the event’s official opening on 16 September. More than 300 military personnel from the EAC bloc and the USAFRICOM will take part in Natural Fire 11, whose theme is to ensure security and foster regional stability. Natural Fire 11 follows similar exercises held in the past in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania (Mainland). The joint exercises were first held in 1998 as a bilateral exercise between the US and Kenya and reconfigured in 1999 as a multilateral exercise between Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Rwanda and Burundi were subsequently enrolled upon joining the East African Community in 2007. Exercises such as Natural Fire 11 are part of EAC efforts to deepen cooperation in defence by the EAC Partner States, guided by the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation (MoU) in Defence in four areas of cooperation which includes military training; joint operations; technical assistance. Others are visits (including sporting exchanges and range competitions as well as visits by the Chiefs of Defence) and exchange of information. The MoU was signed in 1998 and revised in 2001. Ends