Policy Organs' Meetings: Council of Ministers' Session

The 29th Ordinary Meeting of the Council of Ministers for Defence and Security from the Eastern Africa region was coordinated from the Eastern Africa Standby Force's Secretariat in Karen, Nairobi, on 7th October 2021.

In his opening remarks, the EASF Director Brig Gen Getachew Shiferaw Fayisa thanked the Chairperson of the Council of Ministers for Defence and Security H. E. Hassan Omar Mohamed from the Republic of Djibouti for his active involvement in this important meeting. Brig Gen Fayisa informed the Council that EASF had managed to maintain the organization's viability despite COVID-19 related challenges through timely implementation of decisions of the Policy Organs, execution of planned activities and maintenance of Full Operational Capability by conducting continued capacity building.

The Director thanked the Ministers for their guidance, trust and encouragement in steering the Standby Force towards executing its mandate of maintaining a peaceful and stable Eastern Africa. He reflected on recent engagement with Partners and Friends of EASF in seeking ways towards cultivating a broader avenue of cooperation in terms of financial, technical and logistical support in the near future.   

The Chief of Staff of the African Standby Force (ASF) Air Vice Marshall Brian Chikonzo expressed his pleasure for being invited to participate in the 29th Ordinary Meeting of the Council of Ministers for Defence and Security of the Eastern Africa region. He acknowledged the importance of the support ASF receives from Regional Mechanisms such as EASF and reiterated that the African Union, through the ASF, remains committed in supporting EASF in its mandate as well as seeking ways of enhancing cooperation and coordination between both players.

The Chairperson of the Friends of EASF Col. Joern Rasmussen congratulated EASF and its Member States for their continued commitment to multilateralism and regional cooperation for more than 17 years. Col. Rasmussen said, "We have, during the last decade, seen challenges around the world towards international cooperation, multilateralism and the rule-based world order. However, EASF has continued its work to fulfill its ambition to create a strong mechanism among its Member States to protect peace and security in the region despite significant challenges and I salute you for this". The Chairperson informed the meeting that the Friends of EASF were examining possibilities of supporting some activities in the 2021 Activity Plan.

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