The East African Standby Force (EASF) Roster Verification Exercise was officially launched in Nairobi, Kenya on 27th January, 2025, marking a significant step towards enhancing the readiness of the EASF in supporting peace operations in the East African region.
The Exercise, organized by EASF Secretariat was declared open by the Ag. Director General of the Foreign Service Academy, Amb. Paul Ndungu in a ceremony that was attended by more than 40 civilians drawn from the various backgrounds including government and the civil society sector.
In his opening remarks, Amb. Ndungu emphasized the crucial role that civilian experts play in complementing the military and police components in peace support operations and urged them to be ready and willing to be deployed when need arises. On his part, the Director of EASF, Brigadier-General (Rtd) Paul Kahuria Njema stressed the need for a well-structured civilian roster to ensure that qualified personnel are available for peacekeeping, humanitarian operations, and post-conflict reconstruction. Other senior officials who took part in the opening ceremony included Dr. Leah Barasa, Head of Civilian Component at EASF and Ms. Victoria Rotich, the National Civilian Focal Point based at the Foreign Service Academy.
The successful applicants will join a large pool of experts drawn from the 10 EASF member states. The exercise is expected to run up to 31st January, 2025.
