Museveni Pledges to Rally Regional Leaders to Strengthen Eastern Africa Standby Force

ENTEBBE-UGANDA- President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has pledged to rally Heads of State and Government in the region to strengthen the Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF) and revive high-level political engagement on regional peace and security.

President Museveni, who is the current Chairperson of the East African Community (EAC), made the commitment on Friday at State House, Entebbe, during a meeting with Brigadier General Ronald Rwivanga, Director of the EASF.

Brig. Gen. Rwivanga briefed the President on the force’s activities and appealed for his support in mobilising regional leaders to strengthen the organisation’s political, financial and operational capacity.

The Eastern Africa Standby Force is a regional peace and security mechanism established in 2004 under the African Union’s broader African Standby Force architecture. It brings together military, police and civilian capabilities to provide a coordinated and rapidly deployable response to peace and security challenges, including peace support operations, humanitarian emergencies and other crises.

During the meeting, Brig. Gen. Rwivanga asked President Museveni to use his regional influence to encourage Djibouti, Comoros and Sudan to fully participate in the standby force as part of efforts to strengthen collective security in Eastern Africa.

He also asked the President to lobby fellow Heads of State and Government to attend the EASF Summit, which has not been convened since 2014.

According to Brig. Gen. Rwivanga, convening the summit would give regional leaders an opportunity to renew their political commitment to the force, provide strategic direction and strengthen collective ownership at the highest level.

President Museveni pledged to engage other regional leaders on the matter and support efforts to convene the summit.

The President also expressed support for efforts to strengthen the financial capacity of the EASF, particularly in areas such as humanitarian assistance, rescue operations, rapid deployment and emergency response.

However, specific financial commitments are expected to be discussed and agreed upon by Heads of State and Government once the summit is convened. The meeting would provide member states with an opportunity to determine the resources required to make the force more effective and operationally ready.

Uganda Assessed on EASF Readiness

The engagement comes as the 36th Ordinary Policy Organs Meeting of the Eastern Africa Standby Force is underway in Kampala from August 10 to 15, 2026.

The meeting has brought together representatives and senior officials from EASF member states to discuss strategic, operational and institutional issues aimed at strengthening the regional security mechanism.

Brig. Gen. Rwivanga also briefed President Museveni on Uganda’s contribution to the EASF, including a recently concluded three-day verification exercise assessing the country’s military, police and civilian capabilities pledged to the force.

“The exercise assessed Uganda’s readiness, interoperability, personnel, equipment and capacity for rapid deployment in support of peace operations across the region,” he said.

The verification activities were conducted at the Uganda Police Force, the International Peace Support Operations Training Centre (IPSO-T) in Singo and the Uganda Rapid Deployment Capability (URDC) headquarters in Jinja.

The exercise was conducted in accordance with Article 12(2)(f) of the Agreement Establishing the Eastern Africa Standby Force, which provides for the verification of capabilities pledged by member states.

Brig. Gen. Rwivanga further informed President Museveni that EASF leadership intends to engage Heads of State and Government at the highest political level following the summit to secure sustained political support for the force.

The engagement is also expected to advance discussions on strengthening the force’s membership, financing and operational capabilities.

Museveni to Chair AU Assembly in December

President Museveni is expected to take on another significant regional role in December 2026 when he chairs the African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government.

The December engagement could provide an additional platform for discussions on regional peace and security, including efforts to strengthen mechanisms such as the EASF and mobilise broader political support for its mandate.

EASF leadership believes renewed engagement by Heads of State and Government is critical to ensuring that the regional standby force is not only established on paper but is adequately resourced, politically supported and operationally prepared to respond when crises arise.

Also in attendance at the meeting were Ms. Rosette Byengoma, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs; Mr. Daher Meraneti, Head of the Peace Operations Department at EASF; and Ms. Monalisa Kakono, Head of the Civilian Component at EASF.