Rwanda’s Minister of Defence, Juvenal Marizamunda, has called for a new generation of African military officers equipped to respond to the continent’s rapidly evolving security threats. His remarks came as he opened the 19th African Conference of Commandants on November 10 in Kigali, a three-day gathering bringing together senior officers and commandants from 24 African countries.
Addressing participants, Marizamunda stressed that Africa’s security landscape now demands officers who are tactically capable, digitally literate, ethically grounded, and strategically agile. He pointed to terrorism, cyber warfare, illegal migration, transnational crime, and climate-related insecurity as challenges requiring military institutions to rethink how they educate and train future leaders.
“The ability of our institutions to adapt, innovate, and collaborate determines the strength of our collective defence posture. Professional military education must be the foundation of our preparedness in this century,” he said.
The minister emphasised that the conference plays a crucial role in strengthening unity and cooperation among African Command and Staff Colleges. Through harmonised curricula and shared best practices aligned with the African Union’s security architecture, he said, the continent can move toward a more coordinated defence posture.
“Let this moment reaffirm our shared vision, an Africa that is self-reliant in defence, united in purpose, and strong in partnership,” Marizamunda urged.
Brig Gen Andrew Nyamvumba, Commandant of the Rwanda Defence Force Command and Staff College, described the Kigali forum as “a convergence of Africa’s intellectual and professional military leadership.”
He noted that discussions on standardising curricula, strengthening exchange programmes, and integrating digital learning would help prepare the next generation of commanders to lead joint and multinational operations across the continent.
Nyamvumba also confirmed that Rwanda will hand over the conference chairmanship to Tanzania, marking a smooth transition that underscores continued collaboration.
“Throughout our tenure, we have sought ways to reinforce cooperation among African military education institutions and promote harmonisation of training and doctrine,” he said.
Representing Tanzania, Maj Gen Stephen Mnkande of the Command and Staff College highlighted the importance of aligning training within the African Union’s Peace and Security Architecture, including the African Standby Force.
He also called for accelerated digitalisation of military education systems to improve cooperation and interoperability.
“Education and training are essential for preparedness. We must move fast to digitalise our training systems so that Africa’s forces speak the same language in responding to security threats,” he said.
Over the next three days, the participating delegations are expected to adopt joint resolutions to strengthen interoperability, align standards of military education, and bolster the continent’s collective response to emerging security challenges, a priority for many African nations and one of strong interest to security partners in the Arab region.
