The deputy spokesperson of the UPDF, Lt Col Deo Akiiki. File Photo

The army commanders of partner states in the Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF) are convening in Kampala to discuss the role and deployment of civilians in their peace support missions.

The week-long meeting begins today with the expert working group assessing the development of the human resource policy for employment and deployment of civilians in the EASF peace support missions.

The deputy spokesperson of the Uganda People's Defence Forces, Lt Col Deo Akiiki, said the meeting will address a range of issues on regional peace and security, including change of EASF leadership from Burundi to Comoros.

"This is a multidimensional integrated standby force that is ready to respond to emerging crises in eastern Africa.

"The group is composed of 10 countries. The meeting involves experts on security, the chiefs of defence forces and the ministers of defence of all the 10 partner states," Akiiki said.

He said the 27th ordinary EASF policy organs meeting and the expert working group is relevant in harnessing regional stability because, "in this era of integration, a regional standby force is a tool of survival and assurance of security of states in this bloc".

The EASF, formerly Eastern Africa Standby Brigade, is one of the five regional forces for peace support operations of the African Standby Force, consisting of military, Police and civilian components.

Founded in 2002 through the protocol relating to the establishment of peace and security council of the African Union, EASF constitutes the regional operational
arm of the peacekeeping elements.

EASF is composed of Uganda, Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia and Sudan while South Sudan has had the status of an observer since 2013 but is expected to become a full member in due course.

East Africa is one of the regions affected by conflict in Africa, with countries such as Somalia and South Sudan being torn apart by terrorism and internal conflicts.

President Yoweri Museveni has occasionally advocated strategic military co-operation, including formation of Africa's Standby Force to keep away external aggression and resolve conflicts.

Although the African Union has often encouraged regional blocs to form standby forces, the continental African Standby Force continues to suffer inadequate logistical capacities and funding.