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AFRICOM assists efforts to "harmonise expenditures" thru "regional army."
Kampala AS different sectors coalesce into the regional co-operation under the ambit of the East African Co-operation, considerations to include defence are on the table.During his address at the East African security meeting at Munyonyo in October 2009, President Yoweri Museveni called for the creation of an East-African defence force to solve conflicts and counter threats both from within and outside the region. The call comes at a time the region is emerging from years of conflict with the only conflict left being that in Somalia. For years Burundi was immersed in unending conflict. So was Uganda and Rwanda. Calm has returned to these once volatile countries and now stability underpins their rise from chaos. But Somalia is a powder keg which though not a member of the East African Community (EAC), poses a security threat thanks to its proximity. It is feared the conflagration there could spill over and engulf the region. Already reports have it that Al Qaeda is moving its bases into the war-torn country. A joint East African force would effectively contain it and also be on standby for deployment to deal with any threats on the members countries. At the moment, two forces constituting the African Union Mission to Somalia are from EAC's Uganda and Burundi. Since the re-birth of the EAC in 1999 the idea of a joint East African Brigade has featured. It is not exclusively confined to East Africa for it has the support of the African Union which is considering using regional armies to foster security on the continent. Other regional blocks already have mechanisms for regional security. For example, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) force played a role in solving conflicts in Liberia. The South African Development Cooperation (SADC) has a loose military pact that saw some member countries rush troops to the DR Congo to bolster the regime against an invasion from Uganda and Rwanda in 1998. Presidents and chiefs of defence forces of the five East African countries have unanimity on East African Joint Forces; what remains is the drawing up of the mechanism of building it. Kenya Army (KA) The Kenyan Armed Forces number between 40,000 and 45,000 officers and men. According to recent reports, at least 2% of GDP is spent on the army every year. It is largely a peace-time army. It has been a candidate for many a peace mission. The army is divided into several formations. These include the infantry, the air force, the navy and paramilitaries which are better equipped than armies in the other East African countries, especially so in the transportation sector. Kenya's army for example has over 23 transport helicopters, 37 attack choppers and 31 fixed wing transport aeroplanes. Posted by: Besoeker 2010-01-13 |
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