📷 17th African Conference of Commandants kicks off

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KAMPALA - The 17th African Conference of Commandants (ACoC) opened Wednesday (November 1, 2023) at the Royal Suites Hotel in Bugolobi, Kampala. 

The state minister for defense and veterans affairs, Jacob Oboth, opened the conference in presence of the Deputy Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), Lt. Gen. Peter Elwelu, and the Ghanaian CDF Vice Admiral Amuama.

ACoC is an organization that brings together African Staff Colleges and Military Institutions of Higher Learning with a mission to inform and enhance education, training, and development of military officers to support policy formulation and military standards in Africa.

The state minister for defense and veterans affairs, Jacob Oboth, opened the conference.

The Deputy Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Lt. Gen. Peter Elwelu, with the Ghanaian CDF Vice Admiral Amuama at the 17th African Conference of Commandants. (All Photos by Eddie Ssejjoba)

The objectives of the organization are to enhance harmonisation, interoperability (the ability of military groups to operate in conjunction with each other), commonality, standardization, and cooperation between African Staff Colleges. 

ACoC also contributes to African security through quality education, which would provide the required knowledge, and training to equip students with the necessary skills for development to ensure the right attitudes for the desired profession, and to develop curricula to enhance military professional standards.

The deputy spokesperson of the defence ministry, Col. Deo Akiiki told journalists after the opening ceremony that the Uganda Senior Command and Staff College Kimaka took over the leadership and secretariat of this organization on November 4, 2022, in Luanda, Angola, and would organise, host and chair all African Conference of Commandants activities of 2023.

Minister Oboth interacts with some of the delegates who attended ACoC.

Staff colleges that attended today’s conference were from Angola, Botswana, DR Congo, Egypt, Ghana, Libya, Malawi, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

In his remarks and as the guest of honour, Oboth congratulated Uganda Staff College Kimaka as the current chair and for its secretariat organizing the activities for the calendar year 2023. 

He also congratulated the commandant of Angola, the immediate chair, and Libya Staff College, which is the incoming chair after Uganda.

The minister said that this year’s theme, ‘aligning peace support operations training in Africa to contemporary security scenarios’ aligns well with African countries’ security requirements. 

Staff colleges that attended today’s conference are from Angola, Botswana, DR Congo, Egypt, Ghana, Libya, Malawi, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Officials salute before ACoC kicked off.

“This is because African countries are getting more involved in peace support operations as a result of constant conflicts amongst our communities,” he said.

Vision Group multimedia journalist Eddie Ssejjoba attended the ACoC as it kicked off, and below are highlights in pictures from the event;

Countries' representatives: Côte d'Ivoire

Malawi

Botswana

Whatsapp Image 2023 11 01 At 10.44.55 Am (1)

Cameroon

 Sierra Leone

Burundi 

Mauritania 

Kenya 

Officials interact 

Delegates salute 

Delegates take group photos