Over 7000 troops needed for Eastern Africa standby force by 2010, says official

Over 7000 troops made up of both military and police personnel are needed to form a strong but effective and efficient Eastern Africa Standby Brigade force (EASBRIG), scheduled for 2010, with 13 member states contributing at least a battalion (600) each.

In an exclusive interview with APA in Kigali during the ongoing two-day ordinary Council of 13 Ministers from the Eastern Africa region in charge of defense and security, held at the Serena Hotel in Kigali, Peter Marwa, the head of political affairs, of the EASBRIG coordination mechanism said for the force to achieve its envisaged overall objective of conflict management and resolution, it will require a considerable number of troops composed of military, civilian and police personnel.

He noted that there is a need for a multi-dimensional force able to handle all types of conflicts and with capacity to contain different emergencies and disasters in the region.

“We are developing a force that is strong to handle all conflict situations. This calls for enough resources in terms of human capacity, finances and equipment,” Marwa said, disclosing that the brigade’s current operational budget is at about 2.9 million euros and is expected to more than double when all components of the brigade are operating at full capacity.

According to the official, Rwanda has already made clear that its battalion is ready for EASBRIG deployment. The operational exercise of the force will be conducted in November this year, which therefore means that all battalions from the member states should be ready by then.

———-

api/source.apa