EAC Forces Activities: UPDF Personnel Visit Mpendae Hospital in Zanzibar
On Sunday, a detachment of the Uganda Peoples' Defence Forces (UPDF) traveled to Zanzibar, Tanzania's Mpendae hospital to take part in the 4th East Africa Community (EAC) Armed Forces Civil Military Cooperation (CIMIC) Day events.
EAC Forces Activities: UPDF Personnel Visit Mpendae Hospital in Zanzibar
On Sunday, a detachment of the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) traveled to Zanzibar, Tanzania’s Mpendae hospital to take part in the 4th East Africa Community (EAC) Armed Forces Civil Military Cooperation (CIMIC) Day events.
Brig. Emmanuel Rwashande, UPDF Chief for CIMIC, was in charge of the contingent.
Col. ET Stephene, the Commandant of the Chukwani Training Center, and Dr. Ramadhan Mikikali welcomed them.
At the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs (MODVA) Headquarters in Mbuya last week, Brig Gen Geoffrey Kaweesa Kigozi, the Deputy Chief of Personnel and Administration, speaking on behalf of Maj Gen Leopold Kyanda, the Joint Chief of Staff (JCOS), urged the team to “perform professionally, be our ambassadors, and keep the Ugandan flag high.”
The group’s commander was Brig. Emmanuel Rwashande.
He also pleaded with the contingent to carry out the desired and planned actions to foster strong regional kinship.
The Fourth EAC CIMIC event will be carried out by the contingent of fifteen (15) UPDF employees in accordance with the EAC Defence Sector Calendar of Activities.
The implementation of CIMIC activities, according to Brig. Gen. Rwashande, “is a testament of further strengthening the cause of East African Community unity, Shared Defence, security, peace, development, and a common market for our people.”
He continued by saying that by working together, the armed forces build a solid basis for the people’s valued unity, peace, strength, and common interests.
The biennial and rotating EAC Armed Forces CIMIC week promotes collaboration between the citizens of the EAC Partner States and their respective Defense Forces.
The 4th EAC Armed Forces Day activities for this year began on August 25 and will end on September 2, 2022. These activities include providing free medical outreach services, dental and eye care check-ups, HIV/AIDS counseling and testing, and minor operations, among others.
Previous EAC Armed Forces CIMIC events were hosted by Kenya in 2021, Rwanda in 2019, while 2020 was postponed owing to the COVID-19 epidemic. In the Bukedi Sub-region, Uganda also sponsored comparable events in 2018.
