EAC Partner States' Armed Forces join UPDF to Celebrate Tarehe Sita
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 6th February 2018:
The first East African Community Civil Military Cooperation (CIMIC) activities prior to the Army Day in Uganda known as Tarehe Sita was held in Bukedi sub-region in Eastern Uganda.
The event, which was held under the theme Reaffirming the Contribution of the Armed Forces towards Regional Integration for our Strategic Security, Development and Prosperity, ran from 30th January to 6th February, 2018 and was in line with the decisions of the Sectoral Council on Cooperation in Defence held on 24th November, 2017 in Kampala, Uganda.
For the first time, the Armed Forces of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan and Tanzania joined the hosts Uganda Peoples Defence Force (UPDF) during the weeklong Tarehe Sita activities.
Civil military activities were conducted by the medical and engineering contingents of all the forces in all the districts of Butaleja, Pallisa, Budaka, Kibuku, Tororo and Busia. The other UPDF formations and units including those deployed abroad carried out various activities in support of communities in their areas of operation.
The main celebrations were held today held today at Boma Grounds in Butaleja district and attended by, among others, Honourable Ministers of Defence from the Partner States; Principal/Permanent Secretaries of Defence; Members of the East African Legislative Assembly and Members of Parliament of Uganda; Chiefs of the Defence Forces from EAC Partner States; Members of the Diplomatic Corps; Service Commanders and General Officers; Defence Liaison Officers at the EAC Headquarters; Members of the Defence Forces Contingents of the EAC Partner States and the general public.
Addressing participants at the event, the EAC Secretary General Amb. Libérat Mfumukeko, who was represented by his Deputy in charge of Political Federation, Mr. Charles Njoroge, said the CIMIC week was held under the spirit of the EAC Protocol on Cooperation in Defence Affairs whose four pillars include military training, joint operations, technical cooperation, visits and exchange of information.
Mr. Njoroge disclosed that during the Sectoral Council on Cooperation in Defence meeting held on 16th November, 2012, the need to enhance Civil Military Cooperation by conducting CIMIC activities during respective Partner States’ Armed Forces Day was considered and approved.
The Secretary General further noted that during the meeting of 2nd December, 2016, the Sectoral Council directed that CIMIC activities prior to Partner States Armed Forces Day be organized once annually on rotational basis commencing in the Financial Year 2017/18.
Amb. Mfumukeko commended the Republic of Uganda and the UPDF for accepting to host the first EAC Armed Forces Day that was preceded by a week of CIMIC activities and involved the Armed Forces from the EAC Partner States.
He expressed gratitude to the support and leadership by the EAC members of the Summit of Heads of State, the Sectoral Council on Cooperation in Defence and the Heads of the Defence Forces for making the event a great success.
The Secretary General expressed appreciation to the Defence Forces for consolidating and spearheading the EAC integration agenda.
“The planning and execution of the CIMIC activities is a testimony to further strengthening the cause of East African Community unity, common defence, security, peace and development. It is also great inspiration to the people of East Africa to see members of the Armed Forces from different Partner States participating together,” said the Secretary General.
“We need unity, peace, stability and strength to defend our common interests as East Africans. This will in effect provide a conducive and attractive environment for investment and development and prosperity in the region. While partnership with the International Community is important, Africans and more so East Africans, we have to find lasting solutions to our own problems. To this effect, the EAC Cooperation in Defence offers such great scope and prospects,” added the Secretary General.
Notes to Editors
CIMIC activities are designed and conducted to support national development agenda, enhance civil-military cooperation, improve rural economic transformation, improve health, reduce poverty, conserve the environment and ensure food security in order to win the people’s hearts and minds. In this first edition, CIMIC activities were conducted in the fields of health and engineering services.
The East African region continues to be faced with real and potential complex emergencies, which can easily translate into threats to the social economic, cultural and political wellbeing of the people of East Africa. These threats range from natural to man-made disaster, poverty and disease, porous borders and proliferation of small arms and light weapons, internal strife, terrorism and insecurity in states neighboring the Community. These dangers to human life and development cannot be under estimated. It is for these reasons that it is very important to develop the East African Community’s capacity to handle such emergencies and threats.
-ENDS-
For more information, please contact:
Mr Owora Richard Othieno
Head, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department
EAC Secretariat
Arusha, Tanzania
Tel: +255 784 835021
Email: OOthieno [at] eachq.org
About the East African Community Secretariat:
The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of five Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
The EAC Secretariat is ISO 2008:9001 Certified
Tags: Defence