President Museveni pledges to rally regional leaders to strengthen EASF

What the report says

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, who currently chairs the East African Community, has said he will work to bring regional heads of state and government together to strengthen the Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF). The pledge was made at State House, Entebbe, during a meeting with Brigadier General Ronald Rwivanga, the EASF director, who briefed the president on the force’s work and sought support for broader regional mobilization.

According to Watchdog Uganda, Brig Gen. Rwivanga asked Museveni to use his influence to encourage Djibouti, Comoros and Sudan to take full part in the standby force. He also wanted the president to help persuade other regional leaders to attend an EASF summit, which has not been held since 2014. Rwivanga said such a meeting would help renew political backing, set direction and improve ownership of the mechanism.

Museveni also indicated support for efforts to improve the force’s financial capacity, especially for humanitarian assistance, rescue operations and rapid deployment. The report says the matter comes as the EASF’s 36th Ordinary Policy Organs Meeting is taking place in Kampala from August 10 to 15, 2026, bringing together officials from member states to discuss strategic and institutional issues.

The EASF is a regional peace and security arrangement under the African Union framework, designed to provide a coordinated response to crises. The article notes that Uganda recently underwent a verification exercise to assess its pledged military, police and civilian capabilities, reflecting ongoing efforts to ensure the force is operationally ready.