A three-day National Security Symposium (NSS) opens on Monday at Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) Command and Staff College in Musanze District. Organised by the college in collaboration with the National University of Rwanda, the symposium will discuss varied topics, including global power dynamics, the need to expand Africa’s defence capabilities, youth unemployment on the continent, according to a statement from the Ministry of Defence. Other topics include strategies of dealing with cyber terrorism, enhancing continental self-reliance through intra-continental trade and the importance of good governance in achieving socio-economic transformation. The symposium will be held under the theme: “Contemporary Security Challenges: The African Perspective”. “The NSS is an annual meeting that feeds into the College’s mission of developing student officers’ understanding of regional, continental and global security challenges and how they impact on the military operating environment,” reads the statement. “The RDF CSC considers the symposium as a medium through which subject matter experts, re-known academics, security practitioners and policymakers can discuss variant approaches to finding plausible solutions to security challenges,” it added. National Security Symposium 2019 participants include RDFCSC students, the Faculty and Staff, alumni, high profile government and international officials, RDF Generals and senior officers as well as accredited national and external academics with vast experience. It is expected that these discussions around several topics will enrich participants’ understanding of continental and global security issues, according to the statement. The panelists include Eugene Kapersky, the Russian cybersecurity expert and CEO of Kaspersky Lab. Kapersky will lead a session under the theme, “Cyber Terrorism; A Threat to National Security: Deterrent Measures and Mitigating Strategies”. RDF Chief of Defence Staff Gen Patrick Nyamvumba, Dr Donald Kaberuka, Prof Patrick Loch Otieno Lumumba and other notable speakers will share their thoughts and expertise on various subjects like Consensual Versus Adversarial Politics in the Pursuit of Sustainable Peace, Stability and Development in Africa and many more. editor@newtimesrwanda.com
