African Armies Urged to Change Their Mindset to Confront New Security Threats

The Deputy Chief of Defence Forces Lt Gen Sam Okiding has urged African armies to rethink their strategies, warning that equipment and capacity alone cannot prepare them for security threats beyond conventional warfare.

“We must elevate our strategy, redefine our training and modernise our equipment properly. We must fundamentally shift our mindset. This is not a question of capacity; it is a matter of strategy and theory,” he said.

Okiding spoke at the opening of the Chiefs of Defence Intelligence and Security meeting in Munyonyo, Kampala. The meeting forms part of the inaugural African Chiefs of Defence Forces Conference on Military Operations Other Than War.

He called for stronger intelligence sharing, closer coordination and early action to tackle threats. He said military duties beyond traditional combat now occupy a central place in national and regional security planning.

These include responses to humanitarian crises, terrorism, cross-border organised crime, irregular migration and the effects of climate change.

Okiding stressed that intelligence must provide information that commanders can act on, whether they deploy force or pursue measures that do not involve combat.

He urged African countries to build lasting resilience through practical and systematic responses to emerging threats. Such work, he said, requires sustained effort rather than a single intervention.

“We did not gather to learn new concepts, but to redefine our approach to military operations other than war,” he said.

Okiding asked delegates to put African interests and the welfare of citizens at the centre of their decisions. He said the conference would help shape the continent’s joint response to emerging security challenges.

He also urged implementing agencies to turn the resolutions into concrete action and involve relevant stakeholders to achieve results at national, regional and continental levels.

Okiding commended President Yoweri Museveni, Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba and other African military leaders for supporting cooperation on shared security concerns.

The meeting drew defence intelligence chiefs, senior military officers, African Union representatives and delegates from regional organisations. UPDF Chief of Joint Staff Lt Gen Jack Bakasumba also attended.