Ebène, Mauritius, November 17, 2021 - " The Maritime Security Architecture can only function fully if there is an interconnection between the national and regional levels.” This is what emerged from the 7th edition of the Steering Committee (SC) of the MASE regional agreements, held this Wednesday, November 17, 2021, by video conference.
Organised by the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) through the Regional Maritime SecurityProgramme (MASE) funded by the European Union, this session brought together more than thirty participants representing the seven signatory States (Comoros, Djibouti, France, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius and Seychelles), the Regional Maritime Information Fusion Centre (RMIFC), the Regional Operations Coordination Centre (RCOC) and the European Union (EU) Delegation in Mauritius.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 11th November, 2021: The East African Community (EAC) Secretary General, Hon. Dr. Peter Mathuki, has hailed the role being played by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in armed conflict situations in Eastern Africa.
Dr. Mathuki said that EAC would scale up its cooperation with ICRC to mitigate or reduce the impact of armed conflict situations in the region.
Dr. Mathuki observed that the security environment around the EAC was not very stable given that there were armed conflicts underway in Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia and Somalia, adding that there was need to safeguard peace within the EAC to spur economic growth and prosperity while trying to restore stability in neighbouring countries.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 2ndNovember, 2021: The 33rd Meeting of the Sectoral Council on Cooperation in Defence is currently underway at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
The Sectoral Council on Cooperation in Defence has been convened pursuant to Article 10 of the EAC Protocol on Cooperation in Defence Affairs and in accordance with the EAC Calendar of Activities for the period July- December 2021.
The Meeting is considering several items pertinent to strengthening and widening the regional integration agenda in the Defence sector that include, among others, reports on Initial Planning Conference for the 12th EAC Armed Forces Field Training Exercise USHIRIKIANO IMARA 2020; Draft Defence Sector Calendar of Activities for the Period January to June 2022 and Status of Implementation of Previous Decisions of the Sectoral Council.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 27th August, 2021:The Executive Secretary of the Centre on Small Arms in the Great Lakes Region, Horn of Africa and Bordering States (RECSA), Lt Gen Badreldin Elamin, on Thursday paid a courtesy call on the EAC Secretary General, Hon. (Dr.) Peter Mathuki at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
The two officials discussed several issues touching on regional peace and security including the implementation of the Nairobi Protocol for the prevention, control and reduction of Small Arms and Light Weapons in the Great Lakes and the Horn of Africa.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 23rd August, 2021: The East African Community Joint Sectoral Council on Inter-State Security and Foreign Policy Coordination has adopted a framework for establishing a Regional Youth Peace and Security Platform.
The Joint Sectoral Council further directed the EAC Secretariat and Partner States to operationalize the platform and develop a Peace and Security communication strategy to facilitate awareness creation on the existing Peace and Security structures and promote coordinated and meaningful participation of youths at all levels in implementing the platform.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 16th July, 2021: The Head of the International Criminal Police Organization’s (Interpol) Nairobi Regional Bureau, Mr Gideon Kimilu, on Friday paid a courtesy call on the EAC Secretary General, Hon. (Dr.) Peter Mathuki at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
The two officials discussed several issues touching on regional peace and security including the EAC Joint Response to Regional and Cross-Border Security Threats.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 1st March, 2021:The Republic of Kenya has officially taken over from the Republic of Rwanda as the Chairperson of the EAC Defence Liaison Office.
Rwanda’s Defence Liaison Officer (DLO), Colonel Gerald Butera formally handed over the instruments of office to his Kenyan counterpart Colonel Raphael Kibiwot Kiptoo during a brief ceremony held at the EAC Headquarters Monday morning.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 24th November, 2020: Security Experts from the six East African Community Partner States have convened in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania for a three-day meeting which is part of regional efforts towards harmonisation of Police Standard Operating Procedures (SPOs).
The 24th to 26th November, 2020 meeting is part of the implementation of a 2011 directive by the Sectoral Council on Interstate Security to develop SOPs to aid harmonisation of Policing within the EAC Region.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 8th June, 2020:The EAC Secretariat in partnership with the African Union Border Programme is reinforcing the border officers and communities to reduce the risks for cross border transmission of the corona virus. The Secretariat has availed 9600 pamphlets on secure cross border movements (in English, French and Swahili). The pamphlets contain EAC, WHO and Interpol guidelines on secure management of borders and cross border movements during the pandemic and will serve to give relevant information to the border officers to guide their daily work for safe and efficient cross border movements.
Furthermore, 16000 reusable masks, 12800 gloves and 1600 bottles of sanitizers have been availed to selected 16 One-stop Border Posts within the EAC region. These materials will be serve both the 16 OSBP and their immediate surrounding border communities. Additionally, a training on using governing borders during the pandemic and in case of other emergencies will be provided electronically (and where possible physically) as well as a support for the mobility of border officers to sensitize border communities and monitor informal border crossing points via the provision of motorcycles.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 6th February, 2020: The United Nations Assistant Secretary General for Africa, Ms. Bintou Keita, has expressed the United Nation’s desire for peaceful, credible and democratic elections in Burundi.
Ms. Keita made the statement Tuesday during a meeting with the EAC Secretary General, Amb. Liberat Mfumukeko, in Bujumbura, Burundi, adding that peaceful elections in Burundi were a prerequisite for political stability in the nation and the region as a whole.
