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The East African Standby Force (EASF) has convened in Uganda for a three-day conference with vital stakeholders from Early Warning agencies, to enhance regional collaboration towards conflict prevention and resolution, boost situational awareness, and develop a coordinated response to emerging threats and crises, particularly within Uganda, Yesterday 19^th August 2024.

East African Standby Force

In order to improve regional cooperation towards conflict prevention and resolution, raise situational awareness, and develop a coordinated response to emerging threats and crises, particularly within Uganda, the East African Standby Force (EASF) has gathered in Uganda for a three-day conference with key stakeholders from Early Warning agencies yesterday, August 19, 2024.

This Kampala meeting serves as a follow-up to a previous gathering in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where Uganda played a crucial role in establishing a collaborative framework among member states for effectively implementing early warning mechanisms. The goal is to enhance the functionality of the Early Warning System across the region.

The framework received endorsement from the region’s Policy Organs, which include the Chiefs of Defence Forces and the Ministers of Defence and Security.

At the event held at Hotel Africana, Brig Gen Richard Karemire, representing the Chief of Joint Staff, highlighted the meeting as a testament to the unified commitment of member states towards conflict prevention and fostering a culture of peacebuilding in the region. “As you are aware, early warning systems in general aim to mitigate the risk produced by disasters. By providing advance notice, early warning systems enable individuals, communities, organisations, and States to take appropriate measures to minimise or deter dangers.

I acknowledge the significant strides made by the EASF Department of Peace Operations in developing an integrated and functional EASF early warning response system and a collaboration framework between the early warning system and member states early warning system,” said Brig Gen Karemire.

He further emphasised the necessity of timely information sharing and the adoption of best practices in early warning systems to promote peace and reduce violence. Brig Gen Karemire called for investment in advanced technologies to strengthen early warning capabilities, support secure information exchange, and enable rapid responses to challenges such as drought, crop failures, and famine, which can ignite conflicts.

Brig Gen Richard Karemire, representing the Chief of Joint Staff

As a regional organisation, the EASF comprises ten member states: Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Seychelles, Rwanda, Somalia, Sudan, and Uganda.

Among those in attendance were Mr. Leodinous Mwebembezi, Assistant Commissioner at the Ministry of Water and Environment; Lt Col Henry Kyobe, Head of the Incident Management Team at the Ministry of Health; Lt Col Lillian Shigoli (KDF), EASF Legal Advisor; ACP Florence Kirabira, Coordinator for Small Arms and Light Weapons/Conflict Early Warning and Response Mechanisms at the Ministry of Internal Affairs; and Mr. Enyimu William, Principal Human Resource Officer at the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs, among others.