African defense ministers agree to form rapid response force

KAMPALA, Aug. 31 — African defense ministers meeting in the
Ugandan capital Kampala on Tuesday agreed to set up a rapid response force
that will be deployed anywhere on the continent where violence erupts.

The ministers agreed to meet in October to develop operations budget and
cell activities, second officers to the African Union (AU) early warning
systems and pledged capabilities. The ministers were meeting under the
African Capacity for Immediate Response to Crisis (ACIRC) Volunteer
Nations, an interim multinational initiative set up in November 2013 for
military interventions as and when the need arises on the continent. The
ministers and government representatives from Algeria, Angola, Burkina
Faso, Chad, Egypt, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, South Africa, Niger, Sudan
and Uganda decided that at the next meeting they will forward their
recommendations to the heads of state for approval.

The force will act in the interim before the permanent African Standby
Force (ASF) comes in place by 2018. Smail Chergui, AU Commissioner for
Peace and Security, urged the member countries to contribute to the peace
fund to ensure the effectiveness of the ACIRC. “Key issues include
strengthening voluntarism spirit, preparing your forces and resources for
the deployment,” said Chergui. “This will ensure that we demonstrate in
concrete terms to our colleagues and to the international community of our
commitment to sustainable peace through our own resources,” he said. AU
has had challenges funding its peacekeeping missions, forcing it to depend
on external funders like the European Union which supported the AU
peacekeeping mission in Somalia. Chergui said the coming into place of the
rapid response force before the ASF would send a political message that the
continent is committed to finding internal solutions to problems. He added
that it will also show that Africa is ready to defend its security
interests without depending on external support. “The withdrawal of
Western countries from African conflict management after the disasters
encountered in Somalia in 1993 and Rwanda in 1994, strengthens the ACIRC
initiative.”

The deployment of the force would be a responsibility of the AU Peace and
Security Council in consultations with volunteering countries. Africa faces
a series of security challenges ranging from internal conflicts, violent
extremism, and natural calamities like drought and floods. The on-going
conflicts in South Sudan, Somalia, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of
the Congo pose a challenge as hundreds of civilians continue to be killed
and thousands flee for safety. “We are all aware of the continued
insecurity and conflict that continues to plague our continent, but our
resolve as a region to forge peace remains total,” Ruhakana Rugunda,
Uganda’s Prime Minister, told the one-day meeting. “Cumulatively, these
efforts will create a more conducive environment for the advancement of our
people and the fulfillment of their long cherished dream of well-being,” he
added.

According to experts, at least 30 million U.S. dollars are required from
member states to be able to deploy one battle group and force headquarters
for the financial year 2017/18. Each voluntary nation is required to
contribute 12,000 dollars annually for ACIRC operations and administrative
matters.”ACIRC is premised on voluntarism that people can work together to
stem out trouble when it happens. It depends on those willing to volunteer
to help,” Gen. David Muhoozi, Uganda’s Chief of Defense Forces, told Xinhua
in an interview. – XINHUA