The UPDF Chief of Staff for Land Forces Maj. Gen. Leopold Kyanda has said it's through collaboration among intelligence units across the region that operations to counter criminal activities like terrorism can be strengthened.
“The symbiotic relationship between Terrorism, Transnational Organised Crime, Conflict and Peace and Security in the Eastern Africa region, is a serious issue of concern that requires the collaboration of all stakeholders in addressing the threat,” Maj. Gen. Kyanda said.
The UPDF chief was speaking Monday at the celebrations to mark the third anniversary of Eastern Africa’s Regional Intelligence Unit.
Gen. Kyanda hailed the Unit for the impressive work in the last three years and further expressed hope that with support from partner states in the region, more achievements would be registered.
Officials say piracy and cybercrime are among the leading threats to human security and continue to undermine the social, cultural, political and civil development of the communities within the Eastern Africa Region and beyond.
Uganda hosts the headquarters of the Eastern Africa Fusion and Liaison Unit (EA-FLU)-a regional body whose mandate is to support and facilitate regional cooperation initiatives to curb terrorism and other transnational threats posed by organized criminals.
It comprises ten countries: Burundi, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.
On Monday, the Unit celebrated its third anniversary since its launch in 2018, following a resolution of the 455th African Union Peace and Security Council Summit that was held on 2nd September 2014 in Nairobi, Kenya.
The EA-FLU operates with the support and in collaboration with various strategic partners, and these include; the African Union (AU), the Committee of Intelligence and Security Services of Africa (CISSA), East African Community (EAC), and the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD). Others partners include; the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR/ICGLR-JICF), African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), Fusion and Liaison Unit-Sahel (UFL), and the African Center for Study and Research on Terrorism (ACSRT/CAERT).
According to the Unit Coordinator Dr. Tom Magambo, “since inception, notable strides have been made towards accomplishing the strategic objective of contributing to peace and stability in the region.”
However, he further observed that "the existing and emerging threats continue to be more complex, dispersed, difficult to detect and more challenging to defend sometimes hence the need for enhanced coordination”.
