{Twenty three military officers from 8 Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF) Member States successfully completed a 5 day “Maritime Search and Rescue course” at Rwanda Peace Academy, Musanze. Rwanda Peace Academy Ag Director, Col Jill Rutaremara officially closed the course on 6th December 2013 with satisfaction that the knowledge acquired by the participants will contribute to regional maritime safety and security.}
“I have no doubt that the aim of the course was achieved and that the knowledge and skills that you have gained will contribute to the enhancement of regional maritime safety and security”, he told the participants who just concluded a one week regional course on “Maritime Search and Rescue”.
The course was aimed at equipping the course participants with skills that enable them to respond to any emergencies or distress at sea. The Director of RPA noted in his closing remarks that the same skills can be applied to other water masses including lakes such as Lake Kivu. “The safety of people at sea is a concern of both coastal and inland states”, he underlined.
In his closing remarks, the Course Director Lieutenant commander Hjalmer C. Traugott-Olsen Danish Military Officer serving with EASF recalled the statement of Col Jorn E Rasmussen during the opening ceremony of the EASF Search and Rescue course at Rwanda Peace Academy who described that maritime search and rescue capabilities as big need for Eastern Africa Region. “Unfortunately every year thousands of people perish because of accidents at sea, that is why it is very useful to build this capacity”.
The Course Director added that they have been allowed by the organizers to increase the course to a period of two weeks “ this gives the possibility to further tailor the EASF Search and Rescue course content to meet the needs of the East Africa region”, he explained.
One of the participants from Burundi Armed Forces, Capt Frederic Ndayikeza told the media that they have learnt a lot during the “Maritime Search and Rescue Course” conducted at RPA, “we are able now to conduct maritime search and rescue operations with precision or with probability”.
The course was a result of collaborative efforts between the Eastern Africa Standby Force Coordination Mechanism (EASFCOM), the Nordic countries and Rwanda Peace Academy. The participants came from Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan and Uganda.
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