A two-week exercise organised by the Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF) to strengthen logistics planning and coordination for military operations has concluded at the Gako Military Academy in Rwanda.
The exercise brought together military personnel, police officers and civilians from EASF member states, regional partners and representatives of various institutions.
It aimed to strengthen participants’ capacity in logistics planning, military operations preparation and coordination in support of peacekeeping missions, humanitarian assistance and disaster response.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, the Commander of the Rwanda Defence Force Medical Services, Maj Gen Dr Ephrem Rurangwa, emphasised the importance of regional cooperation in addressing security challenges.
He said joint efforts and effective systems for managing and delivering supplies to troops were essential to enabling EASF to deploy forces on time and ensuring they successfully fulfil their missions.
He also urged participants to apply the knowledge and skills acquired during the exercise in their day-to-day responsibilities.
Speaking on behalf of the EASF Director General, the organisation’s Chief of Logistics, Col Julien Rwangarambe, said the exercise provided an opportunity to assess logistics planning procedures, coordination among different institutions and areas requiring improvement.
He noted that the assessment would help ensure troops receive the necessary supplies before deployment and throughout their missions.
Lt Col Clebert Munzege, one of the participants, said the exercise provided a valuable platform for EASF member states and partners to exchange experiences and strengthen logistics planning to ensure troops have the resources needed to carry out their duties.
The exercise underlines efforts by East African countries to strengthen regional cooperation and improve their collective capacity to address security challenges, support peacekeeping operations and respond to disasters.
