URN.Brig Gen Getachew Shiferaw Fayisa, the Director of EASF revealed that the Covid-19 outbreak and restrictions across the member states impeded the execution of planned activities.
The East Africa Standby Force – EASF Secretariat has said funding shortfall, compounded by the global Covid-19 pandemic has hindered the implementation of its 2021 planned activities.
EASF is a regional organization whose mandate is to enhance peace and security in the Eastern Africa region. It is one of the five regional multidimensional Forces of the African Standby Force (ASF) consisting of Military, Police, and Civilian components.
EASF was established as a regional mechanism to provide the capability for rapid deployment of forces to carry out preventive deployment, rapid intervention, peace stability operations, and peace enforcement.
On Monday, EASF commenced their 30th Ordinary Session of the Policy Organs’ Meeting.
Brig Gen Getachew Shiferaw Fayisa, the Director of EASF revealed that the Covid-19 outbreak and restrictions across the member states impeded the execution of planned activities.
Gen Getachew said EASF had planned to undertake capacity-building training of human resources, recruitment visits, benchmarking studies, peace conferences, and environment protection advocacies among others, which have now been deferred.
Capt. Ivel Ernesta, a delegate from Seychelles observed that the financial woes of the body as partly execrated by delayed or non-compliance of some member states in honoring their obligation towards the remittance of funds to facilitate designed activities.
Brig David Obonyo, another delegate from Kenya said over-reliance on donor funds also frustrated the body’s noble role. Brig Obonyo proposed an urgent need to rally allies from the Middle East to partake of their activities other than relying on Europe.
The officials also pointed out that some funders who had already confirmed their financial support towards the Force’s activities pulled out leaving an adverse financial gap. Now, the peace authorities have commenced a week-long strategic summit in Kampala to expand their funding options to aid its peace, stability, and security activities.
Gen. Peter Elwelu, the Deputy Chief of the Uganda People’s Defense Forces – UPDF lauded the team for promoting peace in the region despite cash strains and the negative impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Eastern African Standby Force (EASF) was established in 2007 as one of five regional mechanisms in the military component of the African Union’s overall continental peace architecture.
It was established to address threats to peace and stability in Eastern Africa and the Horn of Africa. The EASF bridges different Regional Economic Communities but is not politically associated with any one of them.
Currently, the EASF draws its membership from 10 active Member States including Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan, and Uganda, which are signatories to the Memorandum of Understanding on the Establishment of the Eastern Africa Standby Force (MOU).
