TPDF hosts command forces exercise for EAC member states

What you need to know:

  • The 17 day training brings together 300 participants from Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and the host, Tanzania, at the Kunduchi’s TPDF Training Centre.

Tanzania Peoples' Defence Force (TPDF) is hosting the 2017 Command Force Exercise from five member states of the East African Community (EAC) from Monday, December 4 to December 20.

The 17 day training brings together 300 participants from Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and the host, Tanzania, at the Kunduchi’s TPDF Training Centre.

Addressing a press conference in the city on Tuesday Dec 5, TPDF’s head of Operations and Training, Brig Gen Alfred Kapinga, said the training will be launched by the minister for Defence and National Service, Dr Hussein Mwinyi, on Friday, December 7.

He said, Tanzania has nominated 107 participants from TPDF, Police Force, Prisons, Immigration Department, Tanzania Intelligence and Security Service, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation and Prime Minister’s Office.

Others are from Vice President’s Office, Ministry of Constitution and Legal Affairs, Ministry of Information, Culture, Arts and Sports, National Counterterrorism Centre (NCTC) and environmentalists.

“The training will base on operation in peace support, counterterrorism, counter piracy and disaster management, with the aim to enhance the cooperation among member states on military training, application of EAC’s standing operation procedures and provides the trainees with knowledge to international humanitarian law,” he explained.

According to him, the most recent challenge was piracy in the Indian Ocean, so it was necessary to remind themselves through various training for the sake of assuring security is guaranteed in member state countries.

The TPDF’s training chief added that the training will involve higher ranking commanders who have the responsibility to plan and arrange the operation techniques in various operations to be conducted.

“It will not involve field training but an indoor training to our commanders who are the think tanks of the forces when it comes to war or any operation, in this case the people living around the training center have no need to worry,” he  clarified.

The joint military training has been active since the re-establishment of EAC in 2001.

“Since 2006 we have been conducting the command post exercise we intend to keep the progress and improve by including different participants,  he added that the exercise focus to provide peace support operation, counter terrorism and disaster management” said Mr Kapinga.