Rwanda has deployed 150 soldiers from the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) and 36 national police officers to participate in the East African Community's (EAC) 12th Armed Forces Field Training Exercise (FTX) in Uganda, scheduled from May 27 to June 16, 2022.
The multinational exercise, codenamed "Ushirikiano Imara 2022," aims to strengthen regional security collaboration by enhancing joint readiness among EAC member states' armed forces, police, and civilian agencies to address complex threats including terrorism, piracy, and disaster management.
Senior RDF officials emphasized adherence to core values during the mission, with Major General Wilson Gumisiriza, commander of the Mechanized Division, outlining expectations for discipline and professional conduct among participants.
The event includes representation from all six EAC member states—Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda—as well as 10 observers from the Democratic Republic of Congo, which recently joined the bloc. Over 1,500 personnel are participating in the two-week exercise.
The training aligns with the EAC Protocol on Defence Cooperation, focusing on "Promoting Peace, Security and Stability towards the East African Community Integration." The official opening is set for June 3, 2022, with a closing ceremony planned for June 10, 2022.
This marks the second EAC FTX in Uganda following a similar exercise in 2018 in Tanzania's Muheza District.
