{"id":56021,"date":"2025-10-21T13:53:55","date_gmt":"2025-10-21T13:53:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/we-cannot-expect-others-to-carry-the-responsibility-for-africa-s-security\/"},"modified":"2025-10-27T12:31:01","modified_gmt":"2025-10-27T12:31:01","slug":"we-cannot-expect-others-to-carry-the-responsibility-for-africa-s-security","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/we-cannot-expect-others-to-carry-the-responsibility-for-africa-s-security\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018We cannot expect others to carry the responsibility for Africa’s security\u2019 – President Kagame"},"content":{"rendered":"

Delivering opening remarks at the Land Forces Commanders Symposium taking place at Intare Arena in Kigali from October 21 to 22, Kagame told participants that the unpredictable global security environment demands decisive yet measured military responses. <\/p>\n

The two-day meeting brings together military leaders, defence experts, and key stakeholders from across Africa and beyond under the theme, \u201cLeveraging Land Forces Capabilities for Enhanced Implementation of Peace and Security Strategies.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kagame said the nature of modern conflict has become increasingly complex and asymmetric, often requiring military involvement in crises that are political, humanitarian, or environmental. He emphasized that land forces play a crucial role on the front lines of such challenges.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn these complex situations, land forces are vital. You are the first to deploy and the last to leave,\u201d Kagame said. \u201cYour swiftness and precision make all the difference between success and failure.\u201d<\/p>\n

The President warned, however, that bureaucratic hurdles and distant restrictions often undermine commanders\u2019 ability to act effectively. He underscored the need for operational flexibility and urgency, remarking that \u201cspeed without accuracy is dangerous, and accuracy without speed is pointless.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kagame also highlighted the importance of civil\u2013military cooperation, noting that land forces operate closest to the people and must always prioritize citizens\u2019 safety and trust. \u201cThe discipline and professionalism that you show are what either build or break the public\u2019s trust,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Turning to emerging threats, Kagame noted that the digital era has introduced new frontiers of conflict, including cyberattacks and disinformation, that can destabilize nations as effectively as traditional warfare. <\/p>\n

He urged African nations to strengthen teamwork and assert greater sovereignty in choosing their security partnerships.<\/p>\n

\u201cSovereignty today is not just about borders,\u201d he said. \u201cIt is also about our ability to choose our partners from a position of strength and align our interests.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kagame reminded participants that Africa continues to face the world\u2019s highest number of active conflicts, calling for stronger regional cooperation and continental security mechanisms. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe cannot expect others to carry the responsibility for Africa\u2019s security,\u201d he said. \u201cNone of the challenges that we face are beyond our capacity to manage or resolve.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Head of State concluded by encouraging participants to engage in open, practical dialogue over the next two days. \u201cI urge you to be frank with one another, share experiences and challenge assumptions,\u201d he said. \u201cThis is how progress is going to be made.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rwanda\u2019s Army Chief of Staff, Major General Vincent Nyakarundi, expressed gratitude to the countries participating in the conference, emphasizing that hosting the event in Rwanda demonstrates the country\u2019s strong commitment to promoting cooperation and partnership in military affairs.<\/p>\n

The meeting, which brings together commanders of land forces, was first held in France in 2024. <\/p>\n

The Chief of Staff of the French Army, General Pierre Schill, highlighted the importance of military cooperation, saying that such collaboration is essential to achieving positive change.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the very meaning of our gathering here,\u201d he said. \u201cIt reflects our determination to strengthen our partnership, enhance coordination, and build collective security based on mutual understanding and respect. These are the foundations of tomorrow\u2019s success.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gen Schill also praised the Government of Rwanda for agreeing to host the event and for the excellent organization.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy organizing and hosting this conference for the second time, Rwanda demonstrates its firm commitment to these shared values,\u201d he noted. \u201cThe goal is to make this forum a space for dialogue, experience-sharing, and reflection on the role of land forces in global security management.\u201d<\/p>\n

The conference will conclude on October 22, 2025, with participants expected to visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial at Gisozi to learn about Rwanda\u2019s history, the events that led to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, and how it was halted.<\/p>\n

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President Paul Kagame has urged military leaders gathered in Kigali to balance speed and precision in their operations, stressing that the effectiveness of land forces depends on disciplined coordination and responsiveness to evolving security challenges.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":62,"featured_media":2000096475,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[75],"byline":[160],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-56021","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-homenews","byline-theophile-niyitegeka"],"bylines":[{"id":160,"name":"Th\u00e9ophile Niyitegeka","slug":"theophile-niyitegeka","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":3}],"contributors":[{"id":160,"name":"Th\u00e9ophile Niyitegeka","slug":"theophile-niyitegeka","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":3}],"featured_image":{"id":2000096475,"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/m-5.jpg","alt":"","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","width":0,"height":0,"sizes":{"thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/m-5.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"medium":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/m-5.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"medium_large":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/m-5.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"large":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/m-5.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"full":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/m-5.jpg","width":0,"height":0}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56021","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/62"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=56021"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56021\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2000096475"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=56021"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=56021"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=56021"},{"taxonomy":"byline","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/byline?post=56021"},{"taxonomy":"hashtag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hashtag?post=56021"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}