13th Africa land forces summit underway in Accra
More than 300 military and security personnel from 40 countries have converged on Accra for the13th African land forces summit to tackle emerging security threats.
The three-day summit, which begun yesterday, is being co-hosted by the US Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) and the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF).
It also aims at strengthening regional and international defence cooperation in response to evolving security threats.
Participants include land force commanders, defence experts, academics and policymakers who are deliberating on innovative solutions to shared security challenges, particularly violent extremism, terrorism and misinformation.
Dubbed: “Optimising land forces for the emerging security environment,” this year’s summit is also focussing on enhancing collaboration among African land forces and their global partners.
Cooperation
The Minister of Defence, Dr Edward Omane Boamah, lauded the military cooperation between Ghana and the US, describing it as a welcome development in the context of international defence cooperation.
“Ghana cherishes the strong bond of friendship and cooperation that exists between us and the US. As a country, we seek to deepen that relationship, as well as similar ones with other friendly countries for our mutual benefit,” he said.
The minister also highlighted Ghana’s commitment to re-establishing diplomatic ties with neighbouring countries under the government’s “friends to all, enemies to none” policy.
Appreciation
Dr Edward Omane Boamah further commended the delegates and said their attendance reinforced the importance of collaborative approaches to security.
Touching on the changing nature of security threats, he cited the rise of violent extremism, terrorism, cyber warfare and artificial intelligence as examples of emerging concerns that demanded multinational and multi-domain responses.
The minister also stressed the importance of innovation, and urged the participants to generate pioneering ideas to address both global and local threats, including those unique to Ghana such as youth unemployment and environmental degradation.
He further underscored the country’s own internal security concerns such as illegal mining and youth unemployment, adding that the government was adopting innovative approaches to tackle those challenges.
US-Africa partnership
The US Ambassador to Ghana,Virginia E. Palmer, said the summit underscored the shared commitment to security and enduring partnerships between the US and African nations.
She said the forum provided opportunity for senior leaders from across Africa, the US and other partner countries to reinforce relationships, exchange insights and deepen cooperation.
The ambassador also highlighted the importance of adapting land forces to address evolving threats that could destabilise the region.
Mrs Palmer commended Ghana as a stronghold of stability, attributing that to its inclusive economic development, professional security services and active engagement in regional intelligence sharing and military interoperability.
She also acknowledged Ghana’s leadership in regional security and the country’s role as a major contributor to peacekeeping missions, with over 2,700 military and police personnel deployed to UN operations in Africa and the Middle East.
