{"id":54220,"date":"2025-05-19T14:59:37","date_gmt":"2025-05-19T14:59:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/kagame-highlights-three-pillars-key-for-africa-s-security-future\/"},"modified":"2025-05-21T11:28:28","modified_gmt":"2025-05-21T11:28:28","slug":"kagame-highlights-three-pillars-key-for-africa-s-security-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/kagame-highlights-three-pillars-key-for-africa-s-security-future\/","title":{"rendered":"Kagame highlights three pillars key for Africa\u2019s security future"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Speaking at the opening ceremony of the inaugural International Security Conference on Africa (ISCA) in Kigali on Monday, May 19, Kagame outlined three key pillars he said are vital for Africa\u2019s long-term peace and stability: ownership, governance, and cooperation.<\/p>\n<p>Held under the theme \u201cReshaping Africa\u2019s Landscape in a Dynamic, Complex Global Environment,\u201d the two-day forum at the Kigali Convention Centre brought together continental and global defence, intelligence, and security leaders to tackle urgent challenges and craft joint solutions.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAfrica\u2019s future, particularly in matters of peace and security, cannot be outsourced,\u201d Kagame told the delegates.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor far too long, our security has been treated as a burden to be managed by others, often without our context or consent. This approach has failed to deliver \u2014 both for Africa and for the world.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>{{Ownership and responsibility<br \/>\n}}<\/p>\n<p>Kagame stressed that the first step is for African nations to take full ownership of their security agendas. He cautioned against blaming foreign interference while simultaneously creating the conditions that invite it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSovereignty is not just about defending borders \u2014 it\u2019s about taking responsibility for our security, as individual states and collectively as a continent,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n<p>The President called for strengthened continental institutions, particularly the African Union and its Peace and Security Council, to ensure that Africa is equipped to handle its internal challenges.<\/p>\n<p>{{The governance-security nexus<br \/>\n}}<\/p>\n<p>The second pillar, Kagame emphasised, is the interdependence of governance and security. He noted that when one fails, the other is inevitably weakened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSecurity is not just about the absence of threats. It is about creating an environment where people can live with dignity, enjoy their rights, and look to the future with hope and confidence.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He highlighted the need for governments to build trust by ensuring effective institutions, equitable development, and inclusive politics.<\/p>\n<p>{{Cooperation and innovation<br \/>\n}}<\/p>\n<p>The third pillar Kagame emphasised is cooperation. In an increasingly borderless world threatened by terrorism, pandemics, cybercrime, and climate-related disasters, he argued no country can secure itself alone.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCooperation must be strategic, intentional, and innovative. The key to overcoming security challenges lies in our ability to produce our own solutions,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>He pointed to the exhibition attached to the conference as evidence of the innovation possible when Africa invests in its own capacity and technology.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhere we have capacity, we must scale it. Where we lack it, this is the time and place to build it \u2014 and to cooperate.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Kagame also appealed to delegates to match political will with technical expertise, aligning national interests with continental priorities. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cLet us leave here not just informed, but more resolved to do more and better,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p>Also speaking at the opening session was Moussa Faki Mahamat, former Chairperson of the African Union Commission and Chair of the ISCA Advisory Council. He hailed the launch of ISCA as \u201ca turning point\u201d for Africa, describing it as a long-overdue strategic space for reflection and dialogue on peace and security matters.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAfrica\u2019s security cannot rely on imported solutions,\u201d Faki said. \u201cWe often say and repeat: African solutions to African problems.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The former AUC boss warned that instability, broken promises, and marginalisation of youth are not merely development failures but drivers of insecurity. Echoing Kagame, he called for clear mandates, sustainable funding, and proactive approaches to regional threats.<\/p>\n<p>Faki said the Institute for Security and Conflict Analysis (ISCA) fills a critical gap by offering a platform for data-driven decision-making, policy innovation, and rigorous debate.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe future we hope for cannot emerge by chance. It must be shaped with rigour, clarity, and method \u2014 but above all, it must be built together.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The ISCA conference continues on Tuesday with high-level panels and closed-door sessions expected to define strategic pathways for a more secure and self-reliant Africa.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-87505 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/kagame_isca.jpg\" alt=\"President Paul Kagame addresses delegates at the opening ceremony of the inaugural International Security Conference on Africa (ISCA) in Kigali on Monday, May 19, 2025.\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-87503 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/7-whatsapp_image_2025-05-19_at_03.17_37.jpg\" alt=\"The president outlined three key pillars he said are vital for Africa\u2019s long-term peace and stability: ownership, governance, and cooperation.\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-87502 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/whatsapp_image_2025-05-19_at_13.11_00_942be171-8167f.jpg\" alt=\"Also speaking at the opening session was Moussa Faki Mahamat, former Chairperson of the African Union Commission and Chair of the ISCA Advisory Council.\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-87501 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/whatsapp_image_2025-05-19_at_13.10_51_813d9abc-2b231.jpg\" alt=\"The two-day forum at the Kigali Convention Centre brought together continental and global defence, intelligence, and security leaders to tackle urgent challenges and craft joint solutions.\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-87499 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/whatsapp_image_2025-05-19_at_13.15_36_f8586fee-b62a7.jpg\" alt=\"The Commissioner General of RCS, Evariste Murenzi, attended the International Security Conference on Africa.\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-87500 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/whatsapp_image_2025-05-19_at_13.10_59_13aa94e4-edd76.jpg\" alt=\"Gen (Rtd) James Kabarebe, the Minister of State for Regional Integration in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was also present.\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-87504 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/whatsapp_image_2025-05-19_at_13.15_35_a0c8cae8-c6180.jpg\" alt=\"The Secretary General of La Francophonie, Louise Mushikiwabo, follows the proceedings.\" \/><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>President Paul Kagame has called for a fundamental shift in Africa\u2019s approach to security, urging the continent to take full ownership of its future and stop relying on external solutions. 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