African defense leaders gathered in Kampala to forge a resilient blueprint for enduring peace across the fractured Horn of Africa.
Ugandan Defence Minister Kiryowa Kiwanuka rallied regional partners to reinforce their shared security commitments during a pivotal summit on Friday.
The high-level extraordinary meeting focused heavily on the strategic transition to the new African Union Support and Stabilization Mission.
Kiwanuka passionately honored the profound sacrifices made by continental soldiers fighting the resilient and adaptive Al-Shabaab terrorist network.
The minister firmly declared that military operations alone cannot heal the deep political and socio-economic fractures troubling the region.
He urged immediate state reconciliation, robust institutional development, and sustainable international funding to solidify hard-won territorial gains.
Defense ministers successfully finalized critical security recommendations ahead of the scheduled Heads of State and Government Summit.
Uganda historically pioneered these peacekeeping efforts by deploying the very first stabilization troops to Somalia in 2007.
Delegates unified their strategic vision to ensure African-led solutions effectively navigate the complex, evolving security environment ahead.