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.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 27th November, 2019: The EU Ambassador to Tanzania and the East African Community, H.E. Manfredo Fanti, and the EAC Secretary-General, H.E. Libérat Mfumukeko, today launched a new 10 million Euros (approx. TShs25.38 billion) joint programme to address regional and cross border security threats in the region.
The programme is a regional response to the various and growing security threats across the EAC region. It will work both on enhancing the technical capacities and building trust between the law enforcement agencies in the EAC Partner States. Without mutual trust, data and information will not be shared. The shared aim is to intercept those engaged in transnational organised crime.
East African Community Secretariat, Arusha, Tanzania, 12th August, 2019: The 12th Edition of the East African Community Military Games and Cultural Event is currently underway at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani in Nairobi, Kenya.
The event which runs from 11th to 26th August, 2019 has drawn 500 sportsmen and sportswomen from the Defence Forces in all the six EAC Partner States, namely: Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 13th July, 2019: The Chiefs of Prisons/Correctional services of the EAC Partner States held an Extra-Ordinary Meeting in Kampala,Uganda from 11th to 12th July 2019. The meeting was convened to validate and adopt a Capacity Building Training Needs Assessment on Human Rights within the Prisons/Correctional Services of the EAC Partner States.
The meeting, chaired by the Commissioner General of Rwanda Correctional Service, Mr. Andrew Rwigamba, was attended by the Commissioner General of the Kenya Prisons Service, Mr. Wycliffe Ogallo, the Commissioner General Uganda Prisons Service Dr Johnson Byabashayija, while the Commissioner General of Prisons United Republic of Tanzania was represented by DCP John Masunga, the Director General Burundi Penitentiary Service by Mr. Aloys Habonimana and the Director General South Sudan Prisons Service by Maj Gen Longar Wol Dhel.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 27th June 2019: A five-day regional Refresher training workshop to raise awareness of EAC Women Security Officers on the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325(UNSCR 1325) is underway at the Beach Hotel, Entebbe, Uganda.
The 25th -29th June workshop is dedicated to increasing knowledge, skills and awareness on the UNSCR 1325 to Security Women Officers with the intention of promoting the role of women in Peace and Security, specifically at policy level so as to build a formidable force of women officers trained on Women Peace and Security
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, 25th April, 2019: The East African Community, in partnership with the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the Indian Ocean Commission have over the last three years been implementing the ESA-IO Maritime Security Strategy with a Euro 37.5 Million seed funding from the European Union. Among the interventions envisaged is the enhancement of the Capacity of the Criminal Investigations Authorities of the participating states to effectively and efficiently investigate crimes at sea in a manner that provides a successful legal finish. The EAC was entrusted with this result area and commenced training of investigators on General investigations, Forensic Investigations and Criminal Analysis. Six intermediate trainings, targeting 50 officers per cluster were held between January and June 2018.
The advanced trainings for the same officers in each of the clusters commenced with the training of 50 officers on Criminal Analysis that commenced on 23rd April 2019 in Mauritius. The trainings will take place within a two week period ending May 5th 2019. The trainings are being held at the Mauritius Prisons Training School in Port Louis. INTERPOL, within the context of the MoU between EAC and it (INTERPOL) concluded in 2012, is providing the technical expertise.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 4th April, 2019: The 30th meeting of the East African Community Sectoral Council on Cooperation in Defence is currently underway 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.
On the Agenda of the Meeting are various items related to strengthening and widening the regional integration agenda in the Defence sector, namely: the Status of Implementation of Previous Decisions of the Sectoral Council; Reports of the After Action Review for the 11th EAC Armed Forces Field Training Exercise USHIRIKIANO IMARA 2018; Evaluation of the 11th EAC Armed Forces Field Training Exercise USHIRIKIANO IMARA 2018, and; the Report of the Initial Planning Conference for the 12th EAC Military Games and Cultural Event 2019.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 22nd February, 2019: The Meeting of the Chiefs/Directors of Health Services of the EAC Partner States’ Armed Forces concluded on Thursday 21st February 2019 at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
The meeting was convened in accordance with Article 2 of the EAC Protocol on Cooperation in Defence Affairs and pursuant to the EAC Defence Sector Calendar of Activities for the period January - June 2019.
Heads of Delegation are as follows:-
Maj (Dr) Desire Harumukiza lead the Burundi delegation, while Brig. GK Ng’ang’a was Kenya’s Head of Delegation. Rwanda was led by Col (Dr) Chryso Kagimbana, South Sudan by Maj Gen (Dr) Peter Ajak Bulen , United Republic of Tanzania by Maj Gen (Dr) Janga, and Uganda was by Maj Gen (Dr) Ambrose Musinguzi.
The meeting discussed and shared information on health matters and reviewed the status of implementation of previous decisions of the Sectoral Council on Cooperation in Defence in regard to the health sector.
Notes to Editors
After realizing the serious risk posed by HIV/AIDS and other health threats to the EAC Partner States’ Armed Forces, the Sectoral Council on Cooperation in Defence directed that the Armed Forces initiate co-operation in Health/Medical matters.
In that regard, an operational forum for the Chiefs and Directors of the Health Services of the EAC Partner States’ Armed Forces was established to draw strategies and measures to mitigate health threats to the EAC Partner States’ Armed Forces.
At its 29th Meeting held on 26th October 2018 in Arusha, Tanzania, the Sectoral Council on Cooperation in Defence made several Decision, among them were:-
(i) EAC Secretariat was directed to constitute a Defence Expert Working Group (DEWG) to study the offer, carry out assessment and evaluate the Medical Modelling and Simulation Centre in the Republic of Rwanda and come up with modalities for sharing the facility;
(ii) The Republic of Rwanda was urged to offer the Radiotherapy Centre at Rwanda Military Hospital for joint utilization; and
(iii) Rotational meetings of the Chiefs/Directors of Medical Services of the EAC Partner States are maintained.
-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.
