EASF opens Kampala workshop to draft regional air operations manual

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The Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF) on February 23, 2026, convened a four-day workshop in Kampala, Uganda, to develop an air operations manual.

The workshop, officially opened by the EASF Joint Chief of Staff, Brig. Gen. Stephen Kashure has brought together technical experts to harmonise regional air capabilities and develop a combined air operations manual and memorandum of understanding to guide joint air operations.

In a statement, the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) said Brig. Gen. Kashure emphasised that the framework being developed will enable timely deployment when required while fully respecting the sovereignty of participating countries.



“This workshop marks a critical step toward strengthening regional air coordination and ensuring our forces can respond swiftly and effectively when called upon. By standardising procedures and enhancing interoperability, we are improving readiness while fully respecting the sovereignty of our member states,” Brig. Gen. Kashure said.

EASF coordinator, Colonel Jancy Bizimana, noted that the workshop has drawn eight participants from three member states: Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda.

The EASF is one of the regional peace support mechanisms under the African Standby Force framework and forms part of the African Peace and Security Architecture established in 2002.

Currently, the EASF draws its membership from nine active member states, namely Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, Sudan and Uganda, which are signatories to the Memorandum of Understanding on the Establishment of the Eastern Africa Standby Force.

South Sudan has held observer status in the EASF since April 2013 and is expected to become a full member in due course.

The EASF is one of the five regional multidimensional forces of the African Standby Force, comprising military, police and civilian components.

According to the EASF website, it was established as a regional mechanism to provide rapid deployment capability for preventive deployment, rapid intervention, peace support and stability operations, as well as peace enforcement.

The African Standby Force comprises multinational and multidisciplinary civilian, police and military components held on standby in their countries of origin across the five regions of the African Union. These regions are the Eastern Africa Standby Force, Northern Standby Brigade, Western Africa Standby Brigade, Central African Standby Brigade and Southern Africa Standby Brigade.

These components remain on standby for rapid deployment at appropriate notice in line with the six peace support operation scenarios of the African Standby Force.

The establishment of the EASF followed a decision by the African Union Summit held in July 2004 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to create the Eastern Africa Standby Brigade. The Memorandum of Understanding, signed in April 2005 and amended in January 2011, formally established the EASF as a constituent organisation of the African Standby Force.

In March 2007, the Council of Ministers for Defence and Security established a Coordination Mechanism known as EASFCOM, formerly EASBRICOM. This decision was informed by past conflicts in Africa, including the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, the war in Sudan and the conflict in Somalia, among others. The Eastern Africa region continues to face challenges related to conflict and internal instability affecting peace and security.

In 2014, the Council of Ministers for Defence and Security elevated EASFCOM to a full secretariat, now known as the Eastern Africa Standby Force Secretariat.