Uganda has hosted the inaugural African Chiefs of Defence Forces Conference on Military Operations Other Than War (MOOTW), bringing together defence chiefs, military operations experts and commanders from more than 18 countries to discuss coordinated responses to emerging security threats across the continent.
The conference, held at Speke Resort Munyonyo in Kampala, has attracted representatives from African Union regional bodies as well as Force Commanders serving in United Nations and African Union peace support missions.
The meeting is focused on strengthening Africa’s ability to respond to security challenges that fall outside conventional warfare, including terrorism, organised crime, cyber warfare, public health emergencies, climate-related crises and other complex threats.
Opening the conference, the Chief of Joint Staff of the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF), Lieutenant General Jack Bakasumba, said the changing nature of security threats requires African militaries to rethink how they prepare for and respond to crises.
“Across Africa and the wider global arena, the security landscape has evolved away from interstate warfare, shifting instead toward a challenging matrix of interstate conflict and complex non-traditional threats,” Lt Gen Bakasumba said.
He said the changing security environment has placed new demands on military forces, which are increasingly expected to respond to emergencies that require specialised skills, equipment, intelligence and coordination with civilian and regional institutions.
According to Lt Gen Bakasumba, many African militaries still face challenges related to training, specialised equipment, early-warning systems and the development of clear standard operating procedures for dealing with non-traditional security threats.
“It was in response to this emerging security reality that this conference on Military Operations Other Than War was planned,” he said.
He said the conference was deliberately designed to move beyond identifying security challenges and instead develop practical mechanisms that can enable countries to work together when emergencies arise.
“It is our regional cooperation that must be enhanced. It is our standard operating procedures that require standardisation. It is our training and equipment procurement that should be streamlined,” he said.
Lt Gen Bakasumba said improved cooperation would be particularly important in dealing with crises that cross national borders, noting that threats such as terrorism, organised crime, cyber attacks and climate-related emergencies cannot be effectively addressed by individual countries acting alone.
He called for stronger systems for sharing intelligence and other security information, joint communication platforms and rapidly deployable capabilities that can be activated when crises occur.
“We must establish mechanisms that extend beyond discussions and conferences and can be translated into concrete standard operating procedures, training, early-warning systems, joint communications, information sharing and deployable capabilities,” he said.
The UPDF senior officer urged participating countries to ensure that the outcomes of the conference translate into practical improvements in military preparedness and regional cooperation rather than remaining at the level of policy discussions.
“We gather here today with a shared belief that Africa must strengthen its African-led, practical and coordinated responses to these emerging threats,” he said.
The conference also provides a platform for African defence establishments to exchange experiences from peace support operations and other military engagements where armed forces have been required to perform roles beyond traditional combat.
Military Operations Other Than War generally encompass a wide range of activities undertaken by armed forces outside conventional interstate warfare, including peace support operations, disaster response, humanitarian assistance, counter-terrorism, protection of critical infrastructure and support during major public emergencies.
The discussions in Kampala are therefore expected to examine how African militaries can improve preparedness for such operations while strengthening coordination between national forces, regional organisations and international peace support missions.
Lt Gen Bakasumba also underscored the importance of Pan-Africanism in addressing the continent’s security challenges, saying sustained cooperation among African countries has contributed to improved regional stability.
He commended President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, regional leaders, defence chiefs, Regional Economic Communities and development partners for their contribution to peace and security efforts across Africa.
“It is this togetherness, driven by the spirit of Pan-Africanism, that has improved and sustained regional peace and security,” he said.
The inaugural conference is expected to strengthen national and regional capacity to plan for and conduct Military Operations Other Than War, while promoting closer collaboration, defence diplomacy and partnerships among African countries.
The gathering comes at a time when African security forces are increasingly being called upon to respond to threats that do not fit within the traditional definition of warfare, making coordination, intelligence sharing, preparedness and rapid response increasingly central to continental security.
Participants will use the conference to identify practical areas of cooperation and develop approaches that can strengthen Africa’s ability to anticipate, prevent and respond collectively to emerging security threats.
