Opening ceremonies were held last Monday and during the week participants at the annual capacity-building seminar, conducted by the US Department of Defence’s Africa Centre for Strategic Studies, aimed to reinforce the link between effective resource management and the attainment of national security goals.
They also examined the policy, institutional, and capacity challenges facing practitioners in Africa; the intended and unintended consequences of various models of resource management in Africa; the importance of predictable policy environments, transparent procedures, and accountable officials; adopting appropriate, internationally-recognized budgetary and procurement practices; and the roles and responsibilities of civilian and military leaders in effectively managing Africa’s security resources.
At the opening ceremonies, guest speakers emphasised the common theme that national security is inseparable from socio-economic development, the AFPS added.
Urging participants to work for regional integration, Musafiri added, “It is not possible to address present threats to human and global security without close regional and international collaboration.”
US Ambassador to Rwanda Stuart Symington said the ideals of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” as contained in the American Declaration of Independence, are relevant to developing nations in Africa today. He correlated life to security, liberty to rule of law, and the pursuit of happiness to quality of life; issues that Africans face every day.
Rosemary Museminali, Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, encouraged participants to broaden their idea of security so that it goes beyond the military focus and promotes long-term stability and peace. She emphasised that factors such as poverty, mismanagement of resources, discrimination, and corruption, among others, may all contribute to insecurity.
Museminali noted that Rwanda has achieved political stability while reducing security expenditures.
