NAIROBI, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- Eastern African military and security chiefs met in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi on Thursday to seek strategies of enhancing their cooperation in combating insecurity in the region.
The 32nd Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF) policy organ meeting brought together the chiefs of defense and security of the ten member states to discuss how to maintain peace in the region.
In his opening remarks, Francis Ogolla, Kenya's Chief of the Defense Forces, said that the meeting marks a pivotal moment in the collective pursuit for regional peace.
"We need to foster a spirit of sharing knowledge and intelligence in order to effectively address the multifaceted security concerns in our region," Ogolla added.
He urged the region to implement measures such as joint military exercises to enable cooperation in the adoption and innovation of advanced techniques that will minimize both inter and intra-state conflicts.
Ogolla observed that the region is in the midst of complex geopolitical dynamics and transnational threats that demand a unified and collaborative response.
Paul Kahuria Njema, the director of the Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF), said that insecurity in the region transcends both national borders and interests.
Njema called on the region's military forces to leverage on their diversity of experiences and capabilities in order to chart a path that fosters stability. ■
