The Exercise Director of the on-going 12th Edition of the East African Community (EAC) Armed Forces Field Training Exercise (FTX), Ushirikiano Imara 2022, made a routine visit of the different contingent camps to check on their defensive positions.
The visit on 6th June further aimed at checking on the troops readiness to effectively respond to different security challenges like ambushes, riots and disaster management, among others.
“I’m here to check on my troops and see how operations are being conducted, double check on their defensive positions and specifically the lay out,” said Maj Gen Nabasa.
He added that many military and civilian activities are happening in the different functional cells covering the four thematic areas which include; peace support operations, counter terrorism, counter piracy and disaster management.
Maj Gen Nabasa noted that troops from the different contingent camps are carrying out patrols around their areas to increase on the security awareness.
He noted that it is important for each contingent to correctly position their weapons against any enemy attacks.
Meanwhile, the Head of Mission Hon Lydia Wanyoto Mutende also visited the Rwanda Defence Forces, South Sudan Peoples’ Defence Forces and the Tanzania Peoples’ Defence Forces contingents to render the necessary cooperation on defence, security, peace support operations, counter terrorism and piracy, among others; to enable the fulfilment of planning and conducting operations in an integrated manner.
She noted that these integrated exercises can deal with emerging complex security challenges within the region and beyond that emerge from new threats like the current youth bulge and cybercrime.
The Chief Umpire for the FTX Brig Gen CJ Ndiege from the Tanzania Peoples’ Defence Forces, while at the Uganda contingent in Mutai, noted that joint campaign planning will help the mission to achieve its mandate.
The multifaceted nature of the exercise, composed of the military, police, prisons and key civilian components drawn from the six EAC Partner States is running under the theme ” Promoting Peace, Security and Stability towards the East African Community Integration.”
It’s being conducted in the districts of Jinja, Buikwe and Mayuge, and will run from 27th to 16th June 2022.