EAC - Peace, Security, Stability and Governance

Under article 124 of the Treaty Establishing EAC, member States agreed that peace and security are prerequisites to social and economic development within the Community and vital to the achievement of the objectives of the Community. As a result, a Peace and Security Strategy was adopted in November 2006.[1] Subsequently, the EAC adopted the Protocol on Peace and Security as well as the EAC Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution Mechanism in January 2012 at the EAC joint meeting of the sectoral councils on Cooperation in Defence, Inter-state Security and Foreign Policy Coordination. The EAC Peace and Security Protocol identified over 20 objectives for fostering regional peace and security, these include, combating terrorism and piracy; peace support operations; prevention of genocide; disaster management and crisis response; management of refugees; control of proliferation of small arms and light weapons; and combating transnational and cross-border crimes.[2] The EAC Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution Mechanism also include initiatives for the prevention of conflicts where early warning systems are an integral part of the peace and security workings of EAC.  

Moreover, EAC has, together with the European Union, Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), COMESA and the Indian Ocean Commission, established a regional action plan against piracy to ensure regional maritime security.[3]