EAC Command Post Exercise Clinic Sessions Kick-Off in Rwanda

The East African Community (EAC) Command Post Exercise (CPX) 2023, “Ushirikiano Imara 2023” has started a three-day clinic exercise at the Rwanda Defence Force Command and Staff College.

The clinic is aimed at ensuring that all exercise participants are fully oriented to efficiently and effectively participate in the exercise and deliver the exercise objectives.

The clinic will be based on the EAC protocol on Cooperation in Defence Affairs, roles and responsibilities of mission and force headquarters staff in an integrated mission environment. It will simulate the challenges faced in Peace Support Operations to protect civilians in a hostile environment, coordination mechanisms of mission headquarter components in an integrated mission, combating terrorism counter-piracy and disaster management.

The Exercise Director, Maj Gen Andrew Kagame, thanked the Partner States and the EAC secretariat for their consistent support, continued commitment and sacrifice through all the planning stages of concept development, initial planning, main planning and the final planning to make the exercise a reality.

“We are all gathered here today as one big family from EAC partner states to undertake the clinic programme and to execute what you collectively planned for the 13th EAC Armed Forces CPX “Ushikiriano Imara 2023,” said Maj Gen Kagame.

Maj Gen Kagame, however, said that the contemporary Peace Support Operations (PSO) have become complex with extensive diverse interests of different parties both internal and external which are more often than not the custodians of Peace Support Operations that have led to enormous challenges within the theatre of operations.

“The modern approach of PSOs has tremendously shifted in that it is not easy to differentiate between peacekeeping and peace enforcement,” he added.

In attendance were: Dr Alice Urusaru Uwagaga Karanzi Head of Mission, Brig Gen Julius Gambosi Force Commander, Commissioner of Police Paul Nkore, EAC secretariat Defence Liaison Officers William Rusodoka, Lt Col Joseph Kimani, Col Caple Mwezi Karangwa, Brig Gen Matur Dharuai Yor, Brig Gen Anchilla Kagombola and Brig Gen Richard Karemire, among others.