STATUS OF SECURITY IN THE EAC REGION BY ADAMS OLOO

INTRODUCTION The partner states of the East African Community are officially Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi For this presentation however we include Sothern Sudan, Somalia and parts of the Great lakes region countries as well as Horn of Africa countries as the goings therein have a bearing on the security of the East African Community partner states

The states of the East African region are characterized by both similarities and differences in political, economic and social systems These similarities and differences have a bearing on the security challenges that face the region The challenges are both traditional reflecting the Cold war scenario as well as contemporary reflecting the post- Cold War period

While the traditional security challenges revolved around border disputes, inter-state conflicts as well as Cold War inspired conflicts- the emerging security challenges encompass both the traditional security challenges as well as human security challenges The EAC region is confronted by different conflict systems that affect the EAC states

These are; The Horn of Africa conflict system The Great Lakes Conflict system The East African Community states conflict system Against this background, my presentation focusses on the contemporary security challenges that have an ingredient of the traditional security challenges but that are

More tilted toward the more germane human security dimension I conclude by examining the emerging responses and the challenges therein that need to be addressed in order to attain a lasting peace in the region

CONTEMPORARY SECURITY CHALLENGES IN THE EAC REGION From Cold-War border disputes, ideologically inspired great power conflicts, inter-state and intra-state conflicts of the period

INTRA-STATE CONFLICTS Somalia since 1991-devasting for both national and regional security and has become a safe haven for international terrorism Kenya-since return to multi-partyism in ethnic violence in electoral years coupled with rise of criminal gangs-Mungiki, SLDF, MRC, numerous militias Uganda-rebels in the north

Rwanda-Genocide and the after effect Burundi-Ethnic rivalries South Sudan – Ethnic and Leadership rivalries Failed states and ungoverned spaces-including regional insecurity and conflicts stemming from failed states in the region, poorly governed regions and borderlands and countries in transition over central government authority

In general conflicts emanating from ethnicity, clannism, irridentism and seccesionism

RESOURCE BASED CONFLICTS Scarcity and contestation over shared resources Crossborder and regional landuse conflicts including land tenure and property rights, landuse conflicts, migration/settlement issues and legal crossborder disputes over contested regions Regional and transboundary water conflicts to include issues of pastoral and ethnic conflicts

Over water, climate change impacts, access and water rights, fishery disputes, interstate disputes over water resources and regional management of trans-boundary water access Regional and mineral resource conflict and proxy wars that includes a wide range of issues linked to the illicit mining and trade of high valued minerals in the Great Lakes area, government collusion and corruption and the impact of armed movements from the DRC sub-region

TERRORISM Terrorism manifests itself in the region in three forms First, is domestic/local terrorism organized mainly by local groups without external or regional connection Second, is domestic/local terrorism with regional connection Third is terrorism organized by global actors with regional and local support

Uganda and Sudan have been victims of the first two while Kenya and Somalia have experienced all three forms

MARITIME SECURITY/PIRACY Maritime security is of major concern i.e in the waters of the indian ocean, lake victoria and lake turkana Indian Ocean – Piracy, drug trafficking Lake Victoria-drug trafficking, armed attacks and smuggling Lake Turkana – Violent banditry activities

ORGANIZED CRIME Criminal groups organized and structured for purposes of committing serious crimes for profit These encompass trafficking in small arms and light weapons, drugs, human beings, cyber crimes and money laundering

BETWEEN NATIONAL AND REGIONAL SECURITY RESPONSE In East Africa as elsewhere there is a change of focus from traditional referent security objects of the state to the broadened human security perspectives that is characteristic of the post Cold War period Some aspects of Security Strategy and Securitization remain ensconsced in the “traditional” frame i.e National Interest

Arising from the above teething disconnects between national and regional responses to the aforementioned security challenges

CONCERNS TO BE TACKLED First, lack of a clear regional hegemon to provide leadership in the securitizing process in the region. This leads to disunity in the approaches taken by each state in addressing security issues beyond their borders some of which directly affect the partner states and their neighbours

Second, lack of a concrete and clear appreciation of a shared understanding about what constitutes common threats to their survival as a region for which there is need to device viable security strategies to address Third, all efforts should be taken to avoid a tendency by which partner states import their local/national security concerns to the EAC and attempt to impose/pass them as regional threats.

Fourth, mistrust and suspicion between partner states should be curtailed as this can contribute to the lack of progress in implementing a regional security strategy Fifth it is glaringly evident that partner states engage in heavy funding of their respective national security sectors which is not replicated at the regional level and thus the fledgling regional security response

Sixth, the partner states appear to lay emphasis on economics as opposed to security yet an integration pegged on the security premise is likely to be more profound than one on economics. The dedication and resources committed to the customs union and common market is more overwhelming maybe due to them as stages of the treaty while peace and security that would come after the political federation looks afar.

CONCLUSION A number of issues for thought going forward Secrecy and Mistrust must be addressed Co-ordination of regional security-the weakest link How do you construct common threats at the national level Dependency on donor funding at the regional level- Lack of commitment, interest or what?