Major Gen Jack Bagonza Bakasumba, the Chief of Staff Land Forces Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), at the closure of the conference lauded Commandants from different military colleges under the African Union for their educative presentations geared towards finding solutions to the common security challenges facing Africa.

He made these remarks during the closure of the 16th Chief Instructors’ workshop for the African Conference of Commandants at Silver Spring Hotel in Kampala, on Wednesday, July 19, 2023.

Major Gen Bakasumba said that the workshop involved the assessment of the African Union Peace Support mechanisms, changing nature of Peace Support Operations, Peace Support Operation Training, and role of the military in identifying areas where staff colleges can customize their curriculum, among others.

All these aimed at finding solutions that can reinforce contemporary security challenges in Africa.

According to Major Gen Bakasumba, the current Peace Support Operations (PSO) are quite different from traditional peace keeping missions, noting that they are classified in circumstances of generational welfare, where the distinction between belligerents and civilians is minimal, soldiering and politics is fused, making the means to prosecute war evolve.

“That should always remind us of where we came from, where we are and where we want this continent to be if we want to survive the pressures,” Maj Gen Bakasumba emphasized.

He mentioned that such gatherings are important because the military derives commendable solutions to address the many different issues that affect the region.

The workshop has been ongoing from 17-19 July, 2023, with delegates from Botwana, Egypt, DRCongo, Ghana, Libya, Malawi, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe and the host Uganda.