Prof Gambari Tasks African CDS on Collective Security And Strategic Defense Cooperation
By Raphael Ekpang
Abuja (Core Reporters) Professor Ibrahim Gambari has tasked African Chiefs of Defence on the need for collective security and strategic defense cooperation among African nations.
The former UN secretary general gave the charge on Monday, August 25, during the African CDS Summit, while giving his goodwill message. He highlighted the significance of the Summit, while emphasizing the need for collective security and strategic defense cooperation among African nations.
He said, “For those of us who have lived through pre- and post-independence of African nations, this event conjures emotion as well as nostalgia.
“ In this regard, we recall vividly how in the late 50s, the late President Kwame Nkrumah of Uganda articulated a vision of an African collective security system through the creation of an African High Command.
“African High Command is the highest form of strategic defence cooperation in the continent. Nkrumah’s vision was further developed here in Nigeria precisely in 1964 at the Organization of African Unity Council of Ministers meeting where the creation of an African High Command was high on its agenda. I draw attention to this vision, not just because of nostalgia, because as the saying goes, you can’t know where you are going unless you know where you are coming from.
“The transition of that vision, however, into concrete reality has eluded us in the continent. This is largely due to the fact that we have to first secure our respective countries before we can then, in the concentric circles of defence policy, secure our respective regions as we strive to secure our continent.
“It is therefore very symbolic that Nigeria is hosting this conference of African Defence Youth today (Monday), the very first of its kind in 2025, some 60 years, 61 years on.”
Gambari noted that despite several efforts to checkmate insecurity in the region, Africa still faces numerous security challenges, including over 1,000 insurgency groups, banditry, terrorism, and violent conflicts in regions like Sudan, South Sudan, and the Sahel.
He stressed the importance of active, practical, and proactive collaboration among African nations to enhance collective security, including synergy in military cooperation, common training, intelligence sharing, and capacity building.
Also, he emphasizes the need to upgrade and strengthen Africa’s defense industry, own its technologies, and avoid external control.
Meanwhile, Gambari urged the summit to move beyond discussions and develop concrete, realistic solutions to combat threats to peace and security in Africa, designing a security architecture that guarantees sovereignty and human security.
“Africa must design, own, and build a security architecture that guarantees our sovereignty and guarantees human security in all of its dimensions,” he said.
The summit’s theme, “Combating Contemporary Threats to Regional Peace and Security in Africa: The Role of Strategic Defence Collaboration,” resonates with African scholars, security experts, and policymakers.
