East Africa Community soldiers poised for joint exercises
Tanzania People’s Defence Forces (TPDF), Major General Alfred Kapinga speak at the past event. Photo|File
What you need to know:
- Tanzania’s Tanga Region is hosting over 1,500 soldiers from members states of the East African Community (EAC) who will be conducting exercises in the area for 17 days as they seek to strengthen cooperation among EAC states on matters of defense and security
Tanga. A total of 1,500 soldiers from East African Community (EAC) security forces will take part in a 17-day joint exercises planned for Muheza District.
The exercise dubbed Strong Cooperation Exercises 2018 confirms the region as an important and popular area for army exercises. Last year, the forces of the South African Development Community (Sadc) took part in sea and land exercises in Tanga.
The head of training and operations of the Tanzania People’s Defence Forces (TPDF), Major General Alfred Kapinga told journalists yesterday that the exercises would be conducted in two phases.
The first phase, which started here yesterday, would mainly be internal. “The second phase would commence on November 9 and end on November 21, this year,” he said. The exercises seek to strengthen cooperation between EAC countries on matters of defense and security.
Apart from the defence exercises, the soldiers would also take part in various development projects such as rehabilitation of Machemba Primary School, Mlingano Agricultural Training Institute and offer free medical services to people in the area where the exercises would be conducted.
The Tanga Regional Commissioner, Mr Martine Shugela, called on residents in areas where the army exercise would be conducted to stay calm because the exercises are aimed at strengthening their security.
