Insecurity: 54 African defence chiefs meet in Abuja today
At least 54 Chiefs of Defence Staff will be meeting in Abuja today (Monday) with a view to discussing how to resolve and end security challenges facing African countries. The event, billed to hold at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, and hosted by Nigeria’s Defence Chief, Gen. Christopher Musa, will be declared open by President […]
Christopher Musa, CDS
At least 54 Chiefs of Defence Staff will be meeting in Abuja today (Monday) with a view to discussing how to resolve and end security challenges facing African countries.
The event, billed to hold at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, and hosted by Nigeria’s Defence Chief, Gen. Christopher Musa, will be declared open by President Bola Tinubu.
Daily Trust reports that Gen. Musa had on several occasions expressed worries over the influx of terrorists and weapons from some countries like Libya into Nigeria and other countries on the continent.
Speaking ahead of the conference during the weekend, the military chief explained that the forthcoming African Chiefs of Defence Staff Summit is designed to unite African militaries and provide indigenous solutions to the continent’s security challenges.
He said the summit would be the first time African Defence leaders would sit together, as brothers, to openly discuss Africa’s problems and chart practical ways forward without relying on external prescriptions.
“For too long, we have been seeking solutions from outside, and that has prolonged our issues. The reality is that our challenges are within us, and it is only within us that we will create the solutions,” Musa said.
According to him, the success recorded in West Africa through engagements among the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Chiefs of Defence Staff informed the decision to scale up the initiative across the continent.
The top military officer noted that the operationalisation of the African Standby Force has faced delays due to challenges of doctrine, strategy, and funding, and would receive fresh impetus during the summit.