File photo of The East African Community (EAC) leaders. © EAC
The East African Community (EAC) and the Center on Small Arms in the Great Lakes Region, Horn of Africa and Bordering States (RECSA) have pledged to enhance cooperation on cross-border security matters, the EAC said in a statement on Friday.
The statement issued by the EAC headquarters in Tanzania’s northern city of Arusha said the pledge to enhance cooperation on cross-border security matters was made by officials of the two institutions in talks held on Thursday.
The two officials discussed several issues on regional peace and security matters, including the implementation of the Nairobi Protocol for the prevention, control and reduction of small arms and light weapons in the Great Lakes and the Horn of Africa, said the statement.
Peter Mathuki, the EAC secretary general, commended RESCA for its commitment to preventing, combating and eradicating the illicit manufacturing of, trafficking in, possession and use of small arms and light weapons in the sub-region.
“RESCA plays a very important role in the EAC regional integration agenda, for integration will never work if there are no systems in place to ensure there is peace and security for the people of the region,” said Mathuki.
Badreldin Elamin, RESCA executive secretary, hailed the long-standing partnership between the EAC and RESCA in the peace and security sector, which he said was a key enabler to the integration process in East Africa.