The East African Standby Force (EASF) is now ready for deployment in conflict zones at an estimated budget of $3 billion in the next five years.

The EASF has the mandate of enhancing peace and security in the East African region through early intervention in conflict zones.

Spearheaded by the African Union (AU), it has seen the East African states commit to deploy 5,000 soldiers for the operation starting this January.

“Enhancing the logistical capacity of EASF will enable timely and rapid interventions to conflict situations before they can escalate,” said Foreign Affairs Secretary Amina Mohamed.

The AU has been working on a plan for 10 years for each of the continent’s regions to have its own peacekeeping force on standby in case of emergencies.

The East African region’s heads of state had targeted December of last year to have deployed the forces, but this was delayed.

In the past year a war has broken out in South Sudan while more recently security has deteriorated in Somalia.

Ms Mohamed was speaking during the EASF Donor Conference consultative meeting held on the sidelines of the 24th Ordinary Assembly of AU in Addis Ababa.

The meeting was convened to deliberate on a proposed donors’ conference to mobilise resources for the establishment of a Peace Fund to finance logistics for the operations of the EASF.

“The EASF should be strengthened through a Peace Fund as endorsed by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government on June 26, 2014 in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea,” said Ms Mohamed.

The proposed conference is expected to identify and approach donors to support the Peace Fund and at the same time develop self-financing options.