The Commandants of the African Armed Forces Command and Staff Colleges are holding a three day meeting in Kigali to discuss ways to enhance military professionalism in Africa.

The workshop of 2016 African Conference commandants includes representatives from Angola, Botswana, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Uganda and Zambia.

The workshop was hosted by Rwanda Defence Force Command and Staff College under the Umbrella of ACoC.

In November 2015, Rwanda was nominated to host the annual meetings. The ACoC is a forum that brings together commandants of Defence colleges as well as training managers of defense forces from all over the continent with the aim of discussing ways of enhancing military professionalism in Africa through education, training and development of officers in African colleges.

This 2016 workshop aims at enhancing harmonization, interoperability, standardization, commonality and cooperation through education and training.

The theme of this workshop is "Challenges of Interoperability and Future concepts of multinational operations”ACoC was first held in November 2007 in Pretoria, South African and was followed by others in Ghana, Egypt, Uganda, Ethiopia and Zambia during which Rwanda was designated to chair the ACOC for the year 2016.

The conference aims at improving Africa’s security through the development and transformation of education and training in the military as well as improve understanding and coordination amongst military colleges.

Workshop participants include among others the commander of the Institute of Defence Higher Studies in the Mozambique Defence Force, Major General Daniel Frazao Chale, Commandant of Zambia Defence College, Brigadier General Sitali Dennis Alibuzwi, the Defence Attache of the Embassy of Netherlands accredited to Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda, Commander Hidelgard Holf, the Secretary of ACoC, Colonel (Rtd) Bob Janssen, Deputy Comdt Senior Command & staff college, Kimaka Uganda, Brig Gen George IGUMBA, Brig Gen S Wachira from Defence Staff College, Kenya and Chief Instructors from Rwanda, Angola, Namibia and Botswana, Training managers on the continent and Faculty Staff from several Command and Staff Colleges on the continent.

In his opening remarks the Chief Instructor Col Justus Majyambere representing the Chairman of ACoC and Commandant of RDF Command and Staff College stated that the workshop aims at discussing ways in which to enhance military professionalism in Africa through education, training and development of officers in African colleges.

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