Amid formidable diplomatic obstacles in a troubled region, East African armies are building a new intervention force
In early December, 1,087 soldiers from eleven east African countries convened in Djibouti for a test run of the region’s first rapid reaction military force. The East African Standby Brigade (Easbrig) will be joined by four others – southern, central, western and northern. The aim is to have a combined African standby capacity of 20,000 troops. East Africa is full of flashpoints. Officers cited Kenya’s 2012 elections, Sudan’s 2011 referendums, Eritrean-Ethiopian belligerence and Somalia’s ongoing crisis as markers of potential danger.
End of preview - This article contains approximately 1090 words.
