African defence chiefs vow to enhance peace in troubled region

Defense ministers from the East African region have wrapped up their meeting in Nairobi vowing to enhance peace and security in the troubled region. The defense ministers met in the Kenyan capital to discuss effective strategies to strengthen an Eastern African Standby Force (EASF) created by the African Union to promote regional peace and stability. The meeting came after East African leaders in April agreed to set up a 5,500-strong rapid reaction force to help end wars and civil conflicts on the continent. Leaders and officials from Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somali, Sudan, the Comoros, Eritrea, Rwanda, Madagascar, Kenya and the Seychelles signed a deal on April 11 in Ethiopia, outlining the mission's legal and policy details together with sources for its 2.5 million U.S. dollars annual budget. EASF is one of the five regional components of the African Standby Force established by the African Union for the purpose of containing conflicts and enhancing peace and security on the continent. "EASF's developed a fully operational and multidimensional integrated Eastern Africa Standby Force ready for deployment by 2015," said Brigadier General Cyrille Ndayirukiye who is the director of EASF Coordinating Mechanism (EASFCOM). He says EASF was established as a regional mechanism to provide capability for rapid deployment of forces to carry out preventive deployment, rapid intervention, peace support/stability operations and peace enforcement. When the idea of an African Standby Force (AFS) was mooted about 10 years ago, it raised optimism that the numerous wars in the continent would be contained as soon as they were started. ASF was meant to be a sort of a rapid reaction force that would have an early warning mechanism that for instance sends an advance party of conflict resolution and peace enforcement experts in a county showing signs of imminent conflict. It is planned to be a rapid reaction force, able to deploy in two weeks in cases of sporadic conflict and within 30 days of approval by the Africa Union Commission for normal operation. "Currently, EASF draws its membership from 10 active Member States including Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan and Uganda," Ndayirukiye said. The EASFCOM director said EASF is testing its readiness to implement the African Standby Force (ASF) roadmap in conflict prevention, management and resolution in the region. Different donors have already reportedly offered financial assistance to build the Eastern African standby force that is expected to be ready for deployment by 2015 in conflict resolution missions. Similar trainings are being held by various countries under regional blocs like the South African Development Community, the Economic Community for Central African States and the Economic Community of Western African States. It is envisaged that by 2015, these regional blocs will have developed the capacity of their armies to constitute a regional force for the African Union capable of responding to any eventuality. ASF has five brigades compromising of civilian, military and police components. The brigades are divided among the five Africa' s regional blocks of Eastern, Southern, Central, Western and Northern. Progress in establishing full brigades varies from region to region. ASF's full actualization has been postponed nearly three times; first in 2008, then 2010, 2013 and now has been put to 2015. Delay in actualizing ASF has meant that there is no really a deterrent to people with intentions to overthrow governments for instance or take control of sovereign territory. Rebels have more time to gain ground because of the lengthy nature of time it takes for the Africa Union and the United Nations to agree on the deployment of the peacekeeping forces. The territorial gains by rebels also create demand for weapons. It also destabilizes the civilian population and wipes out the gains they have made in building local economies. It presents the flow of foreign direct investments. It is estimated that conflicts in Africa cost the continent over 300 billion U.S. dollars between 1990 and 2005, an amount equivalent to all the international aid received by sub-Saharan Africa in the same period, according to a study by Oxfam International, the International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA) and Saferworld. Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for Defense Rachael Omamo, who spoke during the 15th ordinary meeting of the Council of Defense Ministers on Saturday, said the region is not insulated from complexities of life that bring about social instability, upheavals and general insecurity. Omamo told the regional ministers that events in the Great Lakes region, Somalia and Sudan bear witness to this testimony. "An eastern African standby force has the obligation to live up to its broad mandate of ensuring sustainable regional peace and security alongside being a multiplier for regional tranquility, growth and prosperity," said Omamo She challenged governments in the region to empower the standby force to achieve its strategic objectives. "Cohesive political structures, focused leadership as well as functional operational systems are prerequisites for realization of our organization's full operational capability," Omamo said. Ndayirukiye noted that adequate financing and technical skills will boost the capacity of a regional force to respond to security challenges. "Member states and international partners should mobilize resources to ensure the regional standby force execute its mandate of enhancing peace, security and development," said Ndayirukiye AU officials say the launching of the new force still requires time, additional military expertise, financial and equipment support. The force will also require intelligence capability to be effective.