42 African army generals, US, meet in Ethiopia

Top military officers from 42 African countries and the US army have turned up for the 8th African Land Forces Summit holding in Ethiopia.

The four-day summit, co-hosted by the defense establishments of Ethiopia and the U.S., tagged, "Tomorrow’s Security Demands Leadership Today" will seek ways of bolstering partnerships towards the goal of rooting out security threats to create a peaceful.

Commenting, Gen. Michael Xavier Garrett, the commander of the U.S. Forces Command said that the partnership of U.S.-African forces is "important because we operate in a complex, dynamic world.”

“The security challenges we face are diverse, and African nations contend with some of the most complex challenges in the world -- insurgencies, armed conflicts, illicit trafficking, piracy, organized crime, and violent extremist organizations,” he said, adding: “These threats have no boundaries -- they cross borders, destabilize regions and require significant cooperation and strong partnerships make our efforts to combat these threats far and more effective.”

He added that while land forces, could play an important role in addressing these challenges, the military should, however, work in partnerships with civilian leadership to develop solutions that are not only military-focused but solutions that focus on long term objectives, which includes diplomatic, economic and developmental efforts.

Ethiopian defence forces chief of staff, Gen. Adem Mohammed, said that in today’s world, a security threat in one country directly affects the security of neighbouring countries.

Adem added that the strategic importance of Africa was growing and the world’s major forces were basing their militaries on the continent.

Anadolu Agency - AA