Rwandan President Paul Kagame has called upon Africa to seek lasting solutions to its own security needs not waiting for International Community.
Kagame has been speaking at the opening of a one week East African Community Command Post Exercise(EAC CPX) at Rwanda Military Academy-Nyakinama in Musanze District, Northern province.
“While partnering with international community is important, Africans have to find lasting solutions to our own problems of peace and security and take the rod that matters in our own hands,” Kagame said.
Kagame said that in conducting such joint exercises, member states are signaling resolved and addressed jointly the security face that affect people and threaten to delay national and regional development.
He said that will contribute to reaching at valuable lessons will learnt in the search for solutions to the security needs n the region.
In addition to the principle of national defense and security, Kagame said armed forces provide confidence, courage and hope for the EAC citizens.
“Our countries agreed on defense and security collaboration in the areas of military training, technical cooperation, reciprocal visits and information exchange for mutual benefits,” Kagame said.
“This is the kind of cooperation that gives a meaning to our community as it illustrates unity of purpose and reflects the aspirations of the people of EA to come together and respond to constantly revolving circumstances,” He said.
Kagame noted that the exercise Ushilikiano Imara fits very well in EAC integration process.
Earlier on delegations from the five EAC Partner States kicked off with the Final Planning in preparation for the EAC Command Post Exercise codenamed ‘Ushirikiano Imara’ finalize logistic and administrative preparations, consolidating the exercise papers and document the exercise players nominated by the respective Partner States.
The EAC CPX will be aimed at practicing the military of the EAC Partner States in responding effectively to complex security challenges that may erupt in the region. Such security challenges include conflict, terrorism, piracy and disasters.
The is expected to be followed by a Field Training Exercise in June next year to be conducted at the Rwanda Military Academy Gako in Eastern Pronvince.
More than 300 officers from the EAC Partner States Defense Forces converged in the joint command post exercise Ushirikiano Imara is expected to foster cooperation among the EAC Partner States and to enhance collaboration between the civil authorities in the Community and international organizations.
The EAC Partner States’ Defense Forces regularly conduct joint military exercises aimed at deepening cooperation in defense amongst the bloc’s member states, with similar exercises previously held in Kenya, Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania.
These exercises are underpinned by a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Defense which lays down four areas of cooperation that include military training, joint operations, technical assistance, and reciprocal visits that include sporting exchanges and range competitions as well as visits by the Chiefs of Defense forces and exchange of information.
The MoU was signed in 1998 and revised in 2001.
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