The Eastern African Standby Force is ready to deploy troops to
South Sudan if requested by the African Union, despite failing to
intervene in the Burundi crisis in 2015.
The
5,800-strong force attained full operational capability in December
2014, but has remained in obscurity despite the conflicts in Somalia,
South Sudan and Burundi.
This is unlike its equivalent
in the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas), which has
been active and intervened in conflict-prone areas, with the latest
intervention coming in January 2017 when the force removed Gambian
president Yahya Jammeh.
EASF director Abdillahi Omar Bouh told The EastAfrican that deployment requires heavy resources.
“In
South Sudan, the Igad must first deal with the mediation, which is
already complete. The question now is, should Igad deploy troops or
EASF? Igad has already given the task to Djibouti, Uganda, Somalia and
Sudan. We have written to the chairman of Igad requesting that EASF be
asked to go to South Sudan,” he said.
On the Burundi crisis, he said Bujumbura did not ask for help.
“In case a member state is in crisis, they are called to a
Policy Organ Committee meeting to explain the situation because we
cannot deploy without the permission of the affected member. Burundi
said they had no problem.”
EASF is made up of troops
from 10 partner states — Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya,
Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan and Uganda.
Among
the key challenges the force faces is that three countries—Burundi,
Comoros and Somalia—are yet to ratify the agreement that established the
force in 2014.
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