Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has called for Africa to strengthen its military capabilities on land, in the air, at sea and in space, as military chiefs from 14 African countries gathered in Kampala on Thursday to tackle threats beyond conventional warfare.
“We defeated the imperialists in Mozambique… in Zimbabwe, in Namibia, in South Africa, in Guinea-Bissau, and in Angola. But after that, we relaxed,” Museveni said. “I was really surprised to see people attacking Libya <…> because we did not consolidate our victory.”
“We must address the issue of strategic security. How can we be present on land, in the air, at sea, and in space?” he added.
Uganda’s military chief, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, called for stronger cooperation between African armed forces to confront evolving security threats.
“Your presence here demonstrates our shared determination to strengthen cooperation and to prepare our armed forces to respond effectively to the increasingly complex security challenges facing Africa,” he said.
Kainerugaba also urged African armies to work more closely together.
“We should seek to <…> harmonize doctrine, training standards, and operational procedures across our various armed forces,” he continued.
The inaugural Military Operations Other Than War conference addresses emerging threats, including drones, AI, cyberattacks, climate disasters, and pandemics.
The talks also highlight the growing role of African militaries in peacekeeping and humanitarian crises, often requiring cross-border coordination. (Namibia Daily News/Viory)
