The 17th African Conference of Commandants (ACoC) commenced on November 1, 2023, at the Royal Suites Hotel in Bugolobi, Kampala. The event was inaugurated by Jacob Oboth, the state minister for defense and veterans affairs, in the presence of Lieutenant General Peter Elwelu, Deputy Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), and Vice Admiral Amuama, the Ghanaian CDF.
ACoC serves as a platform that unites African Staff Colleges and Military Institutions of Higher Learning with the mission to inform and enhance military officer education, training, and development. Its primary objectives are to support policy formulation and military standards across the African continent.
One of ACoC’s main goals is to foster harmonization, interoperability, commonality, standardization, and cooperation among African Staff Colleges. The organization plays a crucial role in promoting African security through high-quality education, which equips students with the necessary skills, professionalism, and curricula required for the military profession.
Uganda Senior Command and Staff College Kimaka took over the leadership and secretariat of ACoC on November 4, 2022, in Luanda, Angola. As a result, Uganda is responsible for organizing, hosting, and chairing all ACoC activities in 2023.
The conference saw the participation of staff colleges from Angola, Botswana, DR Congo, Egypt, Ghana, Libya, Malawi, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
During the conference, Jacob Oboth, the guest of honor, commended Uganda Staff College Kimaka for its current leadership and the organization of activities for the calendar year 2023. He also acknowledged Angola, the outgoing chair, and Libya Staff College, the incoming chair after Uganda, for their contributions.
The theme of ACoC 2023, “aligning peace support operations training in Africa to contemporary security scenarios,” resonates with the security needs of African countries. The theme reflects the growing involvement of African nations in peace support operations in response to conflicts within their communities.