The Tanzania People’s Defence Force (TPDF) has said the decision to host the East African Community (EAC) Military-Civil Cooperation Week for a second time reflects the trust and confidence member states have placed in Tanzania and its armed forces.
TPDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Salum Haji Othman made the remarks on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, while launching the sixth edition of the regional event at Lugalo Golf Course in Dar es Salaam.
He said joint military activities were increasingly important in strengthening regional integration, particularly through cooperation in defence, security and community development.
“The cooperation among East African forces is a sign of trust and solidarity,” Lieutenant General Othman said, stressing the need for member states to sustain joint initiatives that directly benefit their citizens.
He thanked participating military forces and security institutions for supporting the programme, saying their involvement demonstrated a shared commitment to strengthening regional security cooperation.
The EAC Military-Civil Cooperation Week was first held in Uganda in 2020. According to Lieutenant General Othman, subsequent editions have built on lessons and achievements from previous programmes.
He said the EAC Summit, the Sectoral Council on Defence and Security and the Committee on Cooperation in Defence Affairs had continued to provide strategic direction for joint military activities among member states.
The current edition brings together military personnel from Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, Uganda and Tanzania for a series of activities designed to strengthen military-to-military and military-civilian relations.
Chairperson of the organising committee, Brigadier General Agatha Mary Katua, said preparations had taken several months and involved coordination among participating countries and various stakeholders.
She said the programme would include free medical services, humanitarian assistance and rehabilitation of selected health facilities.
The activities will be conducted in Dar es Salaam, Dodoma, Arusha, Pemba and Unguja, with medical teams also reaching communities through outreach programmes.
Brigadier General Katua said free medical services would be provided at selected hospitals and health centres, while other teams would undertake minor rehabilitation works and provide humanitarian assistance to orphanages, prisons and centres serving people with special needs.
She said the programme was being implemented in line with Articles 2 and 9 of the EAC Protocol on Cooperation in Defence Affairs and a decision adopted by the 41st meeting of the Sectoral Council on Cooperation in Defence Affairs held in Nairobi.
The initiative has also been incorporated into the TPDF’s 2026 community outreach programme on defence and security, according to Brigadier General Katua.
She said this approach was intended to ensure that regional military cooperation translated into tangible benefits for communities while reinforcing the military’s contribution to peace, security and national development.
The activities will run from August 26 to September 1, 2026, with the closing ceremony coinciding with the TPDF’s 62nd anniversary on September 1.
The anniversary marks the establishment of the TPDF in 1964.
Brigadier General Katua said medical equipment and construction materials would also be received during the programme to support free medical services and rehabilitation of selected health facilities.
The EAC initiative comes as member states continue to deepen regional cooperation, with defence forces increasingly using joint exercises and community programmes to complement broader efforts towards peace, security and integration in East Africa.
