Uganda Pledges Air Rescue Capabilities To Eastern Africa Standby Force

The Republic of Uganda has pledged to provide Search and Air Rescue capabilities to support the Air Component of the Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF) to strengthen its capacity to respond to security threats and humanitarian emergencies.

The commitment was announced during a high-level meeting between Uganda’s Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs, Hon. Kiryowa Kiwanuka, and a delegation led by EASF Director, Brigadier General Ronald Rwivanga, at the Ministry’s headquarters in Mbuya, Uganda.

The discussions followed the recent 36th Ordinary Policy Working Group meeting in Kampala and a comprehensive verification exercise to assess Uganda’s operational readiness, interoperability, and pledged equipment.

The verification activities were conducted at the Uganda Police Force, the International Peace Support Operations Training Centre in Singo, and the Uganda Rapid Deployment Capability in Jinja.

In his remarks, Minister Kiwanuka said that strengthening regional preparedness was critical to ensuring that countries develop the capacity to address security challenges on the continent.

“This continued strengthening of our regional preparedness is extremely important,” Hon. Kiwanuka stated.

“The President always emphasises that we must find African solutions to African problems. We can no longer hope that someone from outside our home will ensure our strategic security. With the recent shift in external funding to African peace keeping missions, we have reached a point where we must grow up and sustain these capabilities ourselves.”

He said Uganda was committed to sustaining the capabilities it has pledged to the EASF and assured the delegation that its search and air rescue capabilities would be made available to the regional force.

“Everything available to the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) is available to the people of Eastern Africa in as far as it pertains to maintaining peace and security. Our existence as Uganda is anchored on the safety of our neighbours. We cannot be an island of peace,” said Hon. Kiwanuka.

Brigadier General Rwivanga said that the EASF verification team was satisfied with the operational readiness, equipment and capabilities presented by Uganda.

“We verified the UPDF and police standard policies and were very satisfied with the equipment and operational readiness on display,” Brig Gen Rwivanga said.

“The readiness is evident, not just from the physical outfit, but from the vast experience our troops have gained over years of operations in Somalia. The UPDF, police, and civilian components form a multidimensional force that captures the complete elements of modern peace support.”

The Director highlighted a strategic shift within the EASF toward humanitarian assistance and disaster response, a domain requiring enhanced regional collaboration.

“We realised that in disaster scenarios, we need a collective regional capacity to respond to natural calamities,” Brig Gen Rwivanga stated.

He observed that while Ethiopia has pledged strategic C-130 transport aircraft, Kenya will provide air reconnaissance, and Rwanda offers medical humanitarian assets, Uganda’s air rescue capabilities represent a critical missing piece.

“With Uganda’s tested rescue capability now on board, we can significantly mitigate the impact of disasters across our region. We must always be ready for the worst-case scenario, and working together remains the most effective way to address any crisis beyond our borders.”

The State Minister for Defence and Veteran Affairs (Defence), Hon. Grace Akifeza Ngabirano, said that solidarity is essential for achieving lasting peace on the continent, stressing that a united Africa is better placed to protect its people and respond to emerging security challenges.

“It’s until we have this solidarity that Africa can get the lasting peace and solutions to whatever challenges we get. I look forward to the continuous process that will continue to let Africa shine among other continents,” she said.

The Deputy Chief of Defence Forces, Lieutenant General Sam Okiding, reaffirmed Uganda’s readiness to avail the pledged support required to take on the security responsibilities across the Eastern African region.

“We are ready, because we have the knowledge, we have the experience, we have the capability, we have the capacity. So, we shall take up that task as required,” he said.

Lt Gen Okiding stressed that strategic defence cannot be achieved by one country acting alone, arguing that the strength of the region lies in its unity.

“Strategic defence cannot be achieved by one hand. When I talk of one hand, I mean one country. Our strength is actually derived from our unity.”

He also emphasized that the region’s security challenges are too complex for individual countries to tackle alone, noting shallow strategic depths of most Eastern African countries as an illustration of the need for a regional strategic security partnership.

“We need each other to be safe. And when you look into our countries, we are small, small provinces. Let me speak for Uganda, what is the size? 242 square kilometers and when you do the computation, the strategic defence is 42 kilometres,” he stated.

The meeting was attended by UPDF’s Chief of Joint Staff, Lt Gen Jack Bakasumba; Chief of Defence Intelligence and Security, Maj Gen Richard Otto; EASF Force Commander, Brig Gen Stephen Maina Huria; EASF Chief of Joint Staff, Brig Gen Stephen Kashure; Assistant Commissioner Human Resource Management, Mrs. Harriet Kyomugisha, among others.