The Commandant of the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, Air Vice Marshal David Anettey Akrong, has urged graduates of the Centre to anchor their careers on perseverance and integrity as they step into new roles.
Speaking at the Centre's 15th graduation ceremony, the Commandant described integrity as a "non-negotiable" KAIPTC core value imbibed in the students, warning that many of Africa's challenges stemmed from failures of ethical leadership.
"While this [certificate] confirms that you met the academic standards of the Centre, I believe it represents something even more important. It reflects the character, discipline, and responsibility expected of students of KAIPTC," he said.
"Integrity is the foundation of leadership and the basis of trust. Many of the challenges facing Africa and the international community today can be linked to failures of integrity and ethical leadership. If we are to change the trajectory of our continent and contribute to a better future, integrity must remain non-negotiable," the Commandant said.
He said that while qualifications open doors, character would determine how far the graduates could go. AVM Akrong also reminded the graduates that they are now ambassadors of the Centre, which bears the name of the late Kofi Annan, and urged them to uphold its legacy with honour.
Graduation, Awards
The graduation, held at the Centre in Accra on Friday, June 26, 2026, was under the theme: "Between Intention, (In)Action, and Impact: The Double-Edged Nature of State Posturing." It was chaired by the Commandant, with Supreme Court Judge, Justice Professor Henrietta Mensah-Bonsu, as the Keynote Speaker and Special Guest of Honour.
A total of 162 students were conferred with Master of Arts degrees at the graduation ceremony. The graduates received degrees in MA in Gender, Peace and Security; MA in Conflict, Peace and Security; and Executive MA in Conflict, Peace and Security.
Elsie Adwoa Adutwumwaa Boateng emerged as the overall best graduating student and valedictorian, and also won the award for Best Graduating Student in MA in Gender, Peace and Security. Desmond Ofosuhene was adjudged Best Graduating Student in MA in Conflict, Peace and Security, while Yvonne Ofosua Yirenkyi took the award for Best Graduating Student in Executive MA in Conflict, Peace and Security.
Caution
For her part, Prof. Mensah-Bonsu charged the graduates of Conflict Studies to provide fresh thinking at a time when conventional rules often appear ineffective on paper. While acknowledging that the international regime is fragile, she said it is still better than nothing, and called for renewed commitment to multilateralism, preventive diplomacy and the protection of civilians as the best response to today's existential threats.
She also cautioned that the nature of armed conflict is fundamentally changing due to new technologies and non-state actors. She affirmed that unmanned aerial weapons, drones programmed from thousands of miles away, and groups such as ISIL, Boko Haram and Al-Qaeda in the Maghreb are breaking the link between physical battlefields and human presence.
Prof. Mensah-Bonsu added that these actors often have maximalist goals, disregard national boundaries, and operate outside the restraints of international law, creating a fluid situation where civilians bear the greatest risk.
She also expressed concern over weakening multilateralism and the rise of regional realignments in the Sahel, arguing that while states are forming new groupings, multilateral cooperation remains essential for smaller and weaker states. She stressed that the UN's responsibility to protect civilians and the expansion of international criminal law to cover crimes such as ethnic cleansing and the recruitment of child soldiers were intended to add protection, but enforcement remains weak as some states and non-state actors reject these mechanisms.
Valedictorian
Elsie Adwoa Adutwumwaa Boateng, valedictorian and overall best graduating student, expressed gratitude to the Centre's leadership, faculty, staff and her colleagues for creating an environment where learning and excellence thrived.
Sharing her personal journey, Ms Boateng said she made the decision to pursue postgraduate studies at age 50, after 19 years of building a stable career. Describing it as one of the best decisions of her life, she dedicated her honour to women who doubt themselves and urged them to believe that "it is not too late" to pursue new goals, regardless of age or past circumstances.
She challenged her fellow graduates to be defined not only by their degrees, but by the dreams they will build and the hope they will carry forward.
