The verification exercise, conducted under the EASF Activity Plan 2026, assessed the personnel and equipment pledged by Uganda to the regional standby force as part of efforts to ensure member states maintain a multidimensional capability ready for rapid deployment in support of peace operations across Eastern Africa.
Leading the EASF delegation, Force Commander Brigadier General Stephen Maina Huria commended the UPDF for its professionalism, high training standards, and continued commitment to advancing collective regional security.
“We are really excited and happy that you have joined in this, and we are in this together because when you consider yourself as East Africa’s Standby Force, you’re part of it. I am really impressed by the way you conduct your training. It is very detailed,” Brig Gen Huria said.
He said the verification exercise had confirmed the battalion’s operational readiness and ability to contribute to future regional peace support missions.
“The troops are mission-ready and highly motivated, well equipped for the task. I can assure you, I am fully satisfied that your forces are ready,” he said.
The Commandant of the International Peace Support Operations Training Centre, Colonel Moses Nabaasa, said the centre remains a key institution in preparing military personnel for regional and international peace support operations, underscoring Uganda’s longstanding commitment to collective security under both African Union and international frameworks.
“Our commitment has been demonstrated through our contributions to global peace and security through active participation in peace support operations in various regional countries like Somalia, South Sudan, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, and many other theatres where we found ourselves as UPDF operators in peace in the whole region,” Col Nabaasa said.
He noted that the standby force had been trained in accordance with EASF and United Nations standards and remains prepared for rapid deployment whenever called upon.
“We have no doubt that our Standby Force has all the attributes required. Once given an opportunity at short notice to operate in any environment, we are always ready for the cause,” he said.
Col Nabaasa added that the contingent had undergone comprehensive individual and collective training to meet operational requirements and enhance interoperability with other regional forces.
The verification exercise also assessed Uganda’s pledged police and civilian components, reflecting the multidimensional approach to peace support operations promoted under the African Union Peace and Security Architecture.
The Eastern Africa Standby Force is a regional security mechanism comprising Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, Sudan, and Uganda, established to strengthen collective responses to conflicts and humanitarian crises across the region.
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