Defence Cabinet Secretary, Aden Duale, was appointed chairperson of the Council of Ministers of the East Africa Standby Force (EASF) on Thursday, February 16.
In a statement, Kenya’s Ministry of Defence indicated that the CS took over the role during a Policy Organs Meeting held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The former Garissa Township MP succeeded Ethiopian Minister of Defence, Dr Abraham Belay, whose term ended.
He will be assisted by Brigadier Paul Njema of Kenya Defence Forces, who was appointed the Director of the EASF Secretariat.
The Policy Organs Meeting further unanimously agreed to have Kenya chair the Assembly of Heads of State and Government and the Committee of the Chiefs of Defence Forces (Staff).
During the meeting, the participants admitted that the region’s security dynamics had changed over time and challenged its leadership to enhance its capacity.
“The Council proposed that EASF evaluates itself and see how it could be structured to meet the demands of the current security dynamics.
“To this effect, the participants proposed the establishment of the Panel of Elders (PoE) awaiting its regularization,” read the statement in part.
Members of EASF include Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan and Uganda.
The Ministers who attended the meeting also agreed to establish a medical training centre in one of the EASF member states although it did not specify the host country.
EASF was established as a regional mechanism to provide a capability for the rapid deployment of forces to carry out preventive deployment, rapid intervention, peace support/stability operations and peace enforcement.
The organisation was set up to enhance peace and security in the Eastern Africa region. It is one of the five regional multidimensional Forces of the African Standby Force (ASF) consisting of Military, Police and Civilian components.
Duale rose to the position of Defence Cabinet Secretary after President William Ruto worn the August 2022 General Election.
Source: kENYANS.CO.KE