Uganda has called for stronger regional security cooperation as Eastern Africa confronts a rapidly changing threat landscape, including extremist violence, organised crime and increasingly sophisticated use of technology in conflict.
The call came at the 36th Ordinary Session of the Committee of Chiefs of Defence and Security of the Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF) in Kampala, where senior military leaders from member states gathered to discuss the region’s security preparedness.
Uganda’s Minister of State for Defence and Veteran Affairs, Grace Akifeza Ngabirano, said countries in the region could not tackle emerging threats in isolation.
“Security cannot be sustained through isolation. It is built through confidence, strengthened through partnership, and endures when nations choose cooperation over uncertainty.”
She urged defence chiefs to strengthen military-to-military dialogue, interoperability and cooperation, while anticipating threats before they escalate into wider conflicts.
Ms Ngabirano said military leaders had taken on a broader role beyond commanding national forces, describing them as strategic advisers to governments and key players in building regional confidence and resilience.
Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, warned that the region’s security environment was becoming increasingly unpredictable.
He pointed to rapidly changing conflicts, evolving extremist threats, sophisticated illicit networks and advances in technology as factors complicating military planning.
“Preparedness is no longer measured by numbers alone,” Gen Kainerugaba said. “It is measured by agility, interoperability, foresight and the ability to respond decisively under uncertain circumstances.”
Somalia transition a test of regional readiness
Gen Kainerugaba cited the transition to the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia as evidence of the changing demands facing regional security organisations.
He said Eastern African states needed to maintain the ability to respond collectively when called upon by the African Union or member governments.
“We cannot afford to depend on unpredictable circumstances. We must remain prepared to respond whenever the African Union and Member States require collective action,” he said.
Uganda has also hosted a recent EASF force verification exercise, testing the readiness of the force’s military, police and civilian components.
Gen Kainerugaba said such exercises were important in demonstrating whether the standby force could translate plans into an effective response during a crisis.
“A standby force earns credibility not only through the missions it undertakes, but through the confidence it inspires before deployment becomes necessary,” he said.
He also pledged that Uganda would meet its financial obligations to the EASF, while calling on other member states to find sustainable solutions to the force’s long-standing funding challenges.
Push for political backing
EASF Director Brig Gen Ronald Rwivanga said the organisation was reviewing measures to improve its governance, financial sustainability and operational effectiveness.
He argued that changes in the way peace-support operations are financed and conducted meant African institutions would increasingly have to shoulder greater responsibility for maintaining peace on the continent.
“The question before us, therefore, is not whether EASF has a mandate. The question is whether we are collectively prepared to make that mandate a reality,” he said.
Brig Gen Rwivanga also called for the EASF Summit of Heads of State and Government to reconvene, noting that the summit has not met since 2014.
He said a summit would provide political backing, strategic direction and stronger ownership of the regional force by member states.
Representatives from several member states are attending, including Burundi, Sudan, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Djibouti, Somalia and Comoros.
The discussions come as governments across the region face a complex mix of armed conflict, militant violence, transnational crime and political instability, increasing pressure on African-led mechanisms to provide rapid and coordinated responses to crises.
