Nairobi, Jan. 26 -- The East Africa Standby Force (EASF) says it's ready to deploy troops to the region to help end ongoing conflicts.

But officials say it will for now prioritise diplomatic efforts, which have traditionally taken precedence in similar crises in the past, as it refines its tools.

In its current form, the regional force is usually made up of troops from 10 member countries - Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Somalia, Seychelles, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Comoros, Sudan and Burundi - and includes combined military, police and civilian components.

The East African Standby Force is ready to carry out any mission within its mandate, including in troubled member countries such as Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as help ca...