{UAH} Kenya army joins regional force: Are soldiers making a political federation?
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Kenya army joins regional force: Are soldiers making a political federation?
President Uhuru Kenyatta and Chief of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) General Julius Karangi watch a demonstration by KDF soldiers at a training camp in Archer's Post, Isiolo County. PHOTO | PSCU NATION MEDIA GROUP.
In Summary
- The Nigerian army was once mighty, roaming West Africa, knocking the heads of warlords and restoring order. Its recent collapse is truly bewildering.
- What we are saying is that the EASF is another step in a major reorganisation of our militaries that could fundamentally change even how national politics is conducted in East Africa in the years to come.
- African armies are getting multi-skilled, making money, learning to work regionally and internationally. This gives them a knowledge base, resources, and networks that don't have to rely on civilian structures, and therefore great autonomy and ability to purse pan-regionalism.
By CHARLES ONYANGO-OBBOMore by this Author
A recent headline in the Daily Nation said that "KDF troops set to join regional standby force". The Kenya Defence Forces, the report said, is set to get approval to contribute troops to the East Africa Standby Force (EASF).
EASF's business is to keep the region peaceful during times of conflict in situations such as in Somalia and South Sudan. Lately, they are working together on counter-terrorism. Its members are Kenya, Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Rwanda, the Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan and Uganda.
It is the most advanced in formation of all the African standby brigades.
All this might seem like ordinary stuff, but it isn't. The thing with modern Eastern African armies is that they stand and fight. They don't, like happened in Mali, take flight when they hear rumours of rebels advancing. And they don't do the Naija scoot. Recently, the Boko Haram militants overran a town in northeastern Nigeria. The soldiers fled with the civilians — barefoot and in vests.
ONCE MIGHTY NIGERIA ARMY
The Nigerian army was once mighty, roaming West Africa, knocking the heads of warlords and restoring order. Its recent collapse is truly bewildering.
Why don't East African armies flee? For starters, they have a lot of practice fighting at home, in neighbouring countries, and working in troubled lands like Somalia, South Sudan, the Darfur region, and so forth. But some of it has to do with the craft they have developed from their joint military exercises, especially the East African Community armies.
Some time ago, I read a leaked brief from the EAC headquarters. One of the fascinating bits was on the joint training exercises, many of them with the US military, that the regional forces hold — and we in the media never get to know. There are many.
In July, during the 20th liberation anniversary in Rwanda, I went on a trip that traced the route of the Rwanda Patriotic Army rebels during the war that eventually brought Paul Kagame to power.
One of the stops was Gabiro, the scene of a lot of military activity during the war. It used to be a village when we covered the war. Now it is a small modernish town. It also has a combat training school.
The school is also the East African regional training centre for non-commissioned officers. You hear about these military schools in Africa, and often they are just shacks and overgrown grounds.
The Gabiro centre will surprise you. It is a world-class facility, and there the region's NCOs hone their battlefield skills — again, without us in the media knowing.
MAJOR REORGANISATION
What we are saying is that the EASF is another step in a major reorganisation of our militaries that could fundamentally change even how national politics is conducted in East Africa in the years to come.
My own sense is that because terrorism has become transnational, and regional crises like South Sudan have consequences way beyond their borders, in organising as standby brigades or peace-enforcement consortiums the militaries are creating a regional federation. Only that they are not aware they are doing so.
But even without that, the expansion of the military role all over Africa is happening in subtle ways. In Liberia and Sierra Leone, they have been deployed to enforce Ebola quarantines (and, not surprisingly, rogues took the opportunity to solicit bribes from people to let them escape the quarantine zones. Some things never change).
In Egypt, the military – which already dabbles in business – is to lead in funding and working on the $4 billion expansion of the Suez Canal. There will be industrial and logistics hubs built around the expanded canal that will cost another $4 million. It has been awarded to a Bahrain registered firm, Dar Al-Handasah Egypt. The Egyptian army is the local partner.
African armies are getting multi-skilled, making money, learning to work regionally and internationally. This gives them a knowledge base, resources, and networks that don't have to rely on civilian structures, and therefore great autonomy and ability to purse pan-regionalism.
What next? Will the Kenya-Uganda armies take over the new railway to end the bickering? Will the regional armies standardise their equipment? Will they federate ahead of the politicians? Well, this time we will be there to tell you.
Mr Onyango-Obbo is editor of Mail & Guardian Africa (mgafrica.com). Twitter: @cobbo3
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