Observers say the future of the regional force is bleak due to tensions between member states, capacity gaps and a slowed momentum in regional integration activities. Burundi did not attend the meetings in Kigali.
The future of the Eastern African Standby Force (EASF) is in doubt due to bickering between partner states and the slow pace of regional integration.
This is despite efforts by member countries to rejuvenate the force, which is mandated to enhance peace and security in the region.
The EASF, which is one of the five regional multidimensional forces under the African Standby Force, has faced scrutiny in recent years for failing to intervene in conflicts, including the 2015 violence in Burundi.
Last week, at the 24th Ordinary Session of the Council of Ministers for Defence and Security from the Eastern Africa region in Kigali, defence ministers committed to rejuvenate the force to deal with security threats affecting the region.
But observers say the future of the regional force is bleak due to tensions between member states, capacity gaps and a slowed momentum in regional integration activities. Burundi did not attend the meetings in Kigali.
Rwanda’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in charge of the East African Community affairs Olivier Nduhungirehe downplayed the impact of ongoing tensions between countries on the regional force, saying that countries are focused on the long-term importance.
Established in 2004, the EASF comprises of 10 member states: Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan and Uganda.
The force’s failure to intervene in conflicts in the Eastern African region and the Great Lakes Region over the years has raised questions about whether the EASF is effective.
