The military forces of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, member states of the East African Community (EAC), are to stage a joint anti-terrorism exercise early next month, according to the EAC secretariat.

The joint drill, code-named as Trend Marker, is to be held in Nairobi of Kenya between September 1 and 13.

The joint exercise will also draw participants from the three countries' police, immigration, customs and intelligence departments, according to a press release received here on Monday.

The participants will be briefed with preventive measures to cope with both covert and overt terror operations.

The EAC member states have been cooperating in military affairs. They held a joint military exercise in February this year in Arusha of northern Tanzania.

Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania signed in 1998 their memorandum of understanding on cooperation in defense matters and this memo, revised in 2000, is being upgraded into a protocol.

An EAC defense liaison was established within the EAC headquarters and is manned by three senior military officers from the member countries.

(Xinhua News Agency August 23, 2005)