Burundi has hosted the army exercises gathering the EAC forces from this 13th to 23th October 2013 at Bujumbura in Muzinda Barrack. The main objective of this operation is to strengthen cooperation between EAC forces, improve the level of high fighting spirit, intervention and coordinate efforts to fight against terrorism By Yves Didier Irakoze
A picture of EAC Armed Forces participants ©Iwacu
Major General Cyprien Hakiza is the Supervisor of the exercises in the mission REMIBU in Burundi, a Regional Mission in Burunga. He indicates that this latter has been chosen as a fictitious country where the exercises take place. He goes on saying that they have noticed that it would be better that these activities happen in an unidentified country.
“This mission is an integrated multidimensional one where we have also a component of the police and civil people who have their definite task and responsibility to follow up political and humanitarian affairs, human rights and humanitarian international rights, genre, etc.” he points out.
He adds that it is an integrated mission where everyone has to work and coordinate all forces towards the same direction in order to restore peace, security in Burunga.
Major General Hakiza also says that this operation is divided into 4 themes like peace keeping, natural disaster management, fighting against terrorism and eradicating piracy though Burundi is not really involved in this kind of threat; but what affects our neighboring countries affects us too. He adds that the participants are 271officers from EAC. Burundi at the top has 62, Kenya 46, Rwanda 51, Tanzania 51 and Uganda 50.
Brigadier General Zoma Kongo from Tanzania and Force Commander of REMIBU shares the same view with Major General Hakiza and states that the mission is to unify all EAC Forces together around the same cause, be perfect and have efficient tools to face terrorism attacks.
“It is a simulation but we try to create real conditions in our minds. In addition, we plan to practice actual exercises without fear of operational troops. There are also many exercises of rescue, intervention and evacuation of wounded people,” he points out.
The attack of terrorism in Kenya should be a lesson
“The terrorists’ attacks which happened in Nairobi or Uganda damaged a lot of things and killed many people may, as well, happen in Burundi as we all share the same community. Then, we have to join our forces together to effectively eradicate this kind of threat,” declares Major General Hakiza.
Brigadier General Zoma Kongo reminds that the main objective is to prepare our Forces to quickly intervene in case of terrorists’ attacks because these ones are not commonly classic wars.
“In case of overflowing terrorism attacks in a country, EAC partner states may urgently intervene to stop that terror once and for all,” he highlights.
Major General Hakiza concludes that this mission is being implemented because the sub-region Heads of States asked the UN through AU to allow them to intervene in Burunga because the situation was becoming worse and worse and the permission has been granted.
“We can intervene in any country if need be,” he states.
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