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EASF Policy Organs Experts Working Group (EWG)

The Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF) concluded, on 11 February 2023 at Skylight Hotel Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia, a three-day meeting of its Experts Working Group (EWG) Meeting as part of the 31st Policy Organs Meetings.

During the opening ceremony, the Guest of Honour, Head of Training of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces, Lt Gen Yimer Mekonnen, called EASF Member States delegates “to come out with tangible proposals to advice our Policy's makers.”

“The present global and regional security situation is demanding dynamism in the peace and security organs of the region. That is why we are gathered here, today, to discuss structural and policy issues that would help EASF effectively manage the dynamic situations persisting in the East African region,” elaborated the EWG Chairperson, Maj Gen Teshome Gemechu.

The delegates from the ten EASF Member States discussed and deliberated on the Director’s progress report, EASF financial report, the external auditor’s report for the year 2020, the review of the activity plan for the year 2022, 2023 activity plan and budget as well as the report of the EWG meeting – held in Kenya in October 2022. The Experts also had an updated view on the policy brief on regional security situation, conflict indicators, data sources and analytical framework, Mediation Framework for the Panel of Elders (PoE), PoE Rules of procedure, among others.

Regional peace and security

“The agenda was to deliberate on various documents which are very important for EASF's operation and administrative activities, as well as for deployment in the future. These documents are quite crucial, as they require endorsement of our Policy Organs,” said the Director of the EASF Secretariat, Brig Gen Getachew Shiferaw Feyisa.

This Experts Working Group (EWG) Meeting report, including recommendations, will be presented to the Eastern Africa Chiefs of Defence and Security (EACDS) on 12 February, 2023. These 31st Policy Organs Meetings will end on 14 February, 2023, through the Council of Ministers of Defense and Security of the East African region, which will decide on the priorities and the administration of the Organization.

The Eastern Africa Standby Force is a regional organization whose mandate is to enhance peace and security in the Eastern Africa region, as part of the five regional multidimensional Forces of the African Standby Force (ASF). EASF was established in 2004 as an integrated regional mechanism (Military, Police, Civilian components) to provide capability for rapid deployment of forces to carry out preventive deployment, rapid intervention, peace support/stability operations and peace enforcement. The EASF draws its membership from 10 Member States including Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan and Uganda, which are signatories to the Memorandum of Understanding on the Establishment of the Eastern Africa Standby Force (MOU).