Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces and Senior Presidential Advisor for Special Operations, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, chaired the final session of the conference on Military Operations Other Than War (MOOTW) and stressed the need for joint efforts to implement the recommendations from the four-day conference.
Gen. Kainerugaba led discussions that resulted in the signing of a communiqué which recommended joint military exercises, joint training, intelligence sharing, joint border patrols, and other high-level military activities aimed at ensuring peace and security across Africa.
South Africa’s Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Rudzani Maphwanya, said the conference was important and that technical teams should identify practical areas for cooperation to ease implementation. He also suggested aligning with the existing AU doctrine on Military Operations Other than War.
Tanzania’s Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Jacob Mukunda, thanked Gen. Kainerugaba for organizing the conference and bringing together military chiefs from across the continent. He however expressed concern about the possibility of implementing the recommendations, given the continent’s size and the fact that many countries do not share common borders. He said he was optimistic that a solution could be found.
Maj. Gen. Vincent Nyakarundi, head of the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) delegation, suggested that joint exercises be arranged among small groups of countries to ensure seamless coordination and implementation. He pledged Rwanda’s support for the recommendations and praised the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) leadership for hosting the conference.
Heads of delegation from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Burundi and South Sudan acknowledged the importance of African militaries working together to confront current and emerging security threats.
Representatives from African countries attended the conference, along with delegates from regional and international bodies such as the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the North African Regional Capability (NARC). Diplomats and military attachés based in Uganda also attended.
President Yoweri Museveni earlier addressed the conference and challenged CDFs and military experts to grasp strategy, philosophy and ideology in their work to ensure a secure Africa.
Gen. Salim Saleh, Chief Coordinator of Operation Wealth Creation, also addressed the conference. He emphasized President Museveni’s ideas on military operations other than war, citing President Museveni as an expert on the subject.
On implementation, monitoring and evaluation, Gen. Kainerugaba suggested that a conference secretariat be set up in Uganda and hosted by other nations on a rotational basis.
He also suggested that the conference meet twice a year to ensure implementation and improve monitoring, evaluation and efficiency.
Chiefs of Defence from Malawi, South Africa, Somalia, Tanzania and Zimbabwe attended. Representatives of the Chiefs of Defence Forces of Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Rwanda, South Sudan, Nigeria and Zambia also attended.
Also in attendance were the Representative of the African Union Commission (AUC), the Director of the Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF), the Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the Executive Secretary of the North African Regional Capability (NARC), and the Representative of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Development partners at the conference included the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, France, Russia, China, South Korea, India, Belgium and the Czech Republic.
The Force Commander of the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), the Force Commander of MONUSCO, and the Acting Head of Mission and Force Commander of the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) also attended.
