A team of defence experts from the East African Community has converged in Kampala, Uganda, to develop new guidelines aimed at enhancing cooperation between the military forces and civilians during operations in the region.
The defence experts, who are members of the East African Community Defence Experts Working Group, met with the aim of developing new guidelines in the field of Civil–Military Cooperation (CIMIC).
The primary aim of the guidelines is to enhance cooperation between the military forces of the member states, especially in the handling of emergency situations involving civilians.
According to the defence experts, the new guidelines in the field of CIMIC are aimed at enhancing cooperation in the following areas: peace support operations, humanitarian assistance, disaster response, military support to civil authority, and others. Also, ensure that the countries in the region can effectively respond to emergency situations such as floods, conflicts, and others.
During their discussions, the defence experts also touched on the issue of the application of international humanitarian law in the development of the guidelines. The defence experts noted
The defence experts also expressed their belief that IHL should apply to all members of the East African Community.
