Member states of the Eastern African Standby Force (EASF) are attending a workshop in Seychelles to review data collected in its Command Post Exercise (CPX) in Kenya in March, to better prepare for incidents requiring its instant mobilisation and peace support operations.
During the five-day workshop, organised in collaboration with the Seychelles Defence Forces (SDF), participants will review the four main points of the first exercise – training, advocacy, media awareness and logistics.
In his opening address, the Minister of Internal Affairs, Errol Fonseka, said that “this after-action review of the CPX is an important opportunity for the Secretariat and member states to examine their experiences and perceptions of the exercise, to identify the successes, challenges, as well as make recommendations following the exercise.”
Seychelles, a group of 115 islands in the western Indian Ocean, is one of 10 countries that make up the EASF alongside Burundi, Kenya, Uganda, Djibouti, Comoros, Sudan, Rwanda, Ethiopia and Somalia.
“From the inception of EASF, and since signing the Agreement on establishing the Standby force in June 2014, Seychelles has continually demonstrated its commitment by participating in the activities organised by the Secretariat,” added the minister.
Representatives from the African Union are also attending the conference and the chief of staff for the military component of EASF, Colonel Solihi Abdallah Rafick, told SNA that this is because “they are the chief highest control because we are part of the five regions on standby.”
Source: Seychelles News Agency