Even with the exit of Danish military advisers, the country’s police and civilian experts will continue assisting the East Africa Standby Force, Ambassador Mette Knudsen has said.
“Military advisors ending their duty, including Col Claus Pedersen, who received certificate. Danish police and civilian advisors continue,” Ambassador Knudsen said in a tweet as she marked 10 years of Nordic support to the EASF.
The Nordic countries have established a strong partnership with the EASF and play an important role in the development of the force.
“They provide support to EASF through the Nordic military advisor group placed together with the EASF headquarter in Nairobi,” the Danish Ministry of Defence website indicates.
The government of Denmark together with the UK have jointly in the past donated Command and Control Communications Information Systems (C2CIS) equipment to the Secretariat in Karen, Nairobi.
The Danish government has been supporting the EASF since 2008 in achieving its objectives during the development stages as expressed in the Strategic Plan 2015 – 2020.
The support includes military and police advisory services and direct financial support for capacity-building activities, communication equipment and services
WHAT IS EASF?
The Eastern Africa Standby Force is a regional organisation mandated to enhance peace and security in the EAC region.
It is one of the five regional multidimensional Forces of the African Standby Force consisting of Military, Police and Civilian components.
EASF was established in 2004 as a regional mechanism to provide the capability for rapid deployment of forces to carry out preventive deployment, rapid intervention, peace support/stability operations and peace enforcement.