In Kenya, a massive military undertaking named “Justified Accord,” spearheaded by the United States, kicked off on Monday.
Over 20 nations are actively engaged in what has been touted as East Africa’s most expansive event of its kind.
Stretching across an intensive 11-day period, the exercise is set to conclude next Thursday, strategically designed to enhance the preparedness of participating nations for peacekeeping missions, crisis response, and humanitarian aid efforts. State-owned Somali broadcaster SNTV, along with Kenyan media, has reported extensively on the collaborative initiative.
The comprehensive event will witness the involvement of numerous US-trained Somali commandos, contributing to a significant gathering of 1,000 personnel and units from a staggering 23 nations.
This multilateral effort aims to foster international cooperation and collective capabilities in addressing diverse challenges related to peacekeeping and crisis management.
The US military said Justified Accord is its “largest exercise in East Africa”.
“Justified Accord showcases the desire of US and partner nations to increase readiness and interoperability for regional security and crisis response,” the military said.
The US has led similar exercises in East Africa in recent years as the region grapples with a deadly al-Shabaab insurgency and other security challenges