The 36th round of meetings of the policy makers of the Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF) concluded Friday in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, with the participation of member states. Sudan’s delegation was headed by Lieutenant General Mo’tasem Abbas Al-Toum, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, representing the Minister of Defense.The meetings adopted a number of decisions concerning the Force’s security affairs, administrative arrangements and matters related to the Eastern African region.In his address to the meeting, the representative of the Sudanese Minister of Defense said that some member states continue to provide various forms of support to the rebel Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia, noting that such conduct runs counter to the fundamental objectives and principles for which the organization was established.He explained that the core objectives of the Force include pooling joint efforts to promote peace and security in the region and upholding the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of member states.He called on countries providing support to the militia to immediately cease this approach, warning that continued support would not only have negative consequences for the security of those countries but would also extend to the security and stability of the entire region.Regarding Sudan, the meeting unanimously approved Sudan’s assumption of the EASF chairmanship for 2027 and its hosting of the Force’s meetings, taking into account the country’s current circumstances. It also agreed not to impose sanctions on Sudan over its outstanding financial contributions.The Council commended Sudan’s readiness to provide the necessary air support and capabilities for humanitarian assistance operations in the region, while recommending that an EASF summit be held in Uganda by the end of the current year.BH/BH