East African defense and security arrangements gains momentum

five-member East African Community comprises
Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi
.

KIGALI (Xinhua) -- A senior instructor at Kenya’s famed Defense Staff College (DSC) on Wednesday expressed optimism about regional cooperation in boosting security.

The five-member East African Community (EAC) comprises Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi.

The optimism was voiced at a meeting held in the Rwandan capital Kigali to examine strengths and weaknesses of a security plan in the region.

Col. Alex Angogo told reporters, "We have the social, political, security and economic aspects of a society.

"We are coming together as East Africa to address the aspect of security."

Emphasis is being put on making sure that the products from the bloc’s command and staff colleges come out with the ability to think strategically, and have an analytical thinking on how security issues can be handled, Col. Angogo noted.

"The progress has been very good in the sense that we can be able to meet and discuss issues of common interest and come up with a plan or strategy on how to deal with it," he added.

"The best way to promote and safeguard the regional interests is ... we must have a man power resource that is well trained, well equipped, well motivated."

The Kigali session is the third since 2010.

Participants in the Kigali session on Wednesday travelled to Nyakinama, Musanze District, in northern Rwanda, where a military academy was transformed into a Senior Command and Staff College to be shared by all the five EAC partner states.

"Remember, doctrine puts a team together.

"Look at what is going on in Somalia.

"You will see three East African countries are involved.

"The operation there is based on the aspect of doctrine and common training and you find that most of the commanders there have been in these colleges."

"So long as Somalia is not safe and secure, we will have a security threat in the region and beyond.

"Somalia has to be secure- - the Congo has to be secure.

"Without that, the region cannot move, " he added.

source