Uganda to Host EAC Armed Forces Field Training Exercise Next Year
Uganda will in 2022 host the East African Community joint Field Training Exercise (FTX) and representatives from different sectors are in the country to plan for the event.
The planning meeting, which started on October 19 and ends on October 21, is being held at the Source of the Nile Hotel in Jinja.
The FTX aims at ensuring the collective participation of all EAC Partner States Armed Forces when tackling any future threats to peace and stability in the region.
"In addition, all delegates will jointly share presentations on how to effectively deal with terrorism, piracy, disaster management and how to respond to peace support operations in the East African region," the defence ministry said in a statement, adding that the event will be codenamed "Ushilikiano Imara 2020".
Brig Gen B Karil from the Kenya Defence Forces and chairperson for the 2020 FTX hailed the Uganda government and UPDF leadership for supporting the military exercise.
Col Raphael Kiptoo from the EAC Secretariat revealed that the planning exercise and troop drills during the exercise will all follow the Ministry of Health Standard Operating Procedures against the global Covid-19 pandemic.
The Joint FTX 2020 for the EAC Partner States will have representatives drawn from the military, police, prisons, immigration and civilians in each of the six Partner States.
Brig Gen Emmanuel Twinamatsiko is leading the Ugandan delegation while Brig Gen Nhial Arou Nhial leads the South Sudan delegation.
Col Mary Warigia Njoroge, Col Sebastian Nyankuru, and Lt Col Manasseh Manzi are leading the Kenyan, Burundian and Rwandan delegations respectively.
Tanzania is led by Comodorer HM Hamis.
Participating countries are Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan.
Joint Command Post Exercises (CPX) and Field Training Centre are rotated every two years.
The 2020 exercise was postponed due to the effects of the global Covid-19 pandemic. The exercises are conducted in line with the East African Community Protocol on cooperation in defence matters. The exercises have been conducted since 2005.
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