The Minister of Defence, Juvenal Marizamunda, has emphasized that addressing Africa's evolving security threats requires a new generation of military officers who are tactically capable, digitally literate, ethically grounded, and strategically agile.
Marizamunda made the remarks as he opened the 19th African Conference of Commandants on November 10, in Kigali. The three-day forum convened commandants and senior officers from 24 countries across the continent.
He said Africa faces multifaceted challenges, including terrorism, cyber warfare, illegal migration, transnational crime, and climate-related insecurity, which demand adaptive and innovative military education.
"The ability of our institutions to adapt, innovate, and collaborate determines the strength of our collective defence posture," Marizamunda said. "Professional military education must be the foundation of our preparedness in this century."
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The Minister added that the meeting promotes unity among African Command and Staff Colleges through sharing best practices and harmonised curricula under the African Union's security architecture.
"Let this moment reaffirm our shared vision, an Africa that is self-reliant in defence, united in purpose, and strong in partnership," Marizamunda urged the participants who attended the opening session. Among those present included the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Mubarakah Muganga.
Brig Gen Andrew Nyamvumba, Commandant of the RDF Command and Staff College, described the forum as "a convergence of Africa's intellectual and professional military leadership."
"Our discussions on standardising curricula, expanding exchange programmes, and leveraging digital learning will shape the next generation of commanders capable of leading joint forces across the continent," Nyamvumba said.
He noted that Rwanda will hand over the conference chairmanship to Tanzania, reaffirming continuity and collaboration in advancing the forum's mission.
"Throughout our tenure, we have sought ways to strengthen collaboration among African military education institutions and to promote harmonization of training and doctrine," he added.
Tanzania's Commandant of the Command and Staff College, Maj Gen Stephen Mnkande highlighted the significance of harmonising training within the African Union's Peace and Security Architecture, particularly the African Standby Force.
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"Education and training are essential for preparedness," he said. "We must move fast to digitalise our training systems so that Africa's forces speak the same language in responding to security threats."
Over the next three days, participants are expected to adopt joint resolutions to strengthen interoperability, align military education standards, and enhance collective responses to emerging security challenges across the continent.
