By Our Reporter
NATIONAL
The Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF) has commenced the roster recruitment and verification exercise for civilian personnel in Uganda.
Speaking at the opening of the exercise in Kampala, on Monday, 24th March, 2025, Brig Gen Stephen Kashure, the Joint Chief of Staff of the Eastern Africa Standby Force, emphasized its rotational nature among the ten member states, stating, “We are an organization that brings together ten countries, and our exercises rotate among them. Therefore, it may take some time before Uganda hosts another one.”
He underscored the significance of careful recruitment, training, and adherence to international humanitarian law for deployment readiness, aligning with the EASF’s three core mandates of prevention, management, and resolution of conflicts.
“The professionalization of civilians within the EASF, under the African Union, is crucial to addressing instability with African solutions. This requires a deliberate approach to policy guidance and peace operations,” said Brig Gen Kashure.
He emphasised that civilians play a crucial role in conflict resolution, stating, “Civilians are the real solutions to these conflicts. Military personnel can only engage in combat, but long-term peace is built by civilians,” while urging continuous capacity-building efforts.
He dismissed criticism that the force has not deployed in its 20-year existence, likening it to a fire brigade that remains valuable even when no fires break out, affirming, “Our main focus is prevention, and if called upon, we are ready to manage conflicts and work towards resolution.”
Mr. Arthur Kamya, representing the Permanent Secretary, reaffirmed Uganda’s commitment to regional peace and security.
“We recognise EASF as a multidimensional force integrating the military, police, and civilians. This workshop highlights our commitment to preparedness in addressing conflicts, humanitarian crises, and natural disasters,” Mr. Kamya said.
“Strengthening the civilian component ensures rapid and effective deployments to mitigate these challenges,” he explained.
Mr. Kamya stressed that Uganda, as an EASF member state, understands the regional security dynamics and that conflicts in neighbouring countries directly affect Uganda, whether through refugee influxes or trade disruptions.
Mr. William Enyimu, the Principal Human Resource Officer at the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs and Uganda’s National Civilian Focal Point for EASF, reiterated the importance of the recruitment and rostering exercise.
“This exercise is critical in updating Uganda’s roster and addressing concerns raised by past participants,” he noted.
The Eastern Africa Standby Force is a regional organization whose mandate is to enhance peace and security in the Eastern Africa region.
It is one of the five regional multidimensional forces of the African Standby Force (ASF) consisting of military, Police and civilian components.
The EASF Member States include: Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan and Uganda.
