Uganda, South Africa Defence Chiefs Discuss Military Cooperation

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The Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) of the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF), General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has held talks with his South African counterpart, General Rudzani Maphwanya, on the sidelines of the first African Defence Chiefs Conference on Military Operations Other Than War in Kampala.

The meeting, held at Speke Resort Munyonyo, focused on military relations between the UPDF and the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), with the two defence chiefs discussing areas of cooperation between the two forces.

General Maphwanya has previously visited Uganda, travelling to Kampala in November 2024, as part of continued engagements between the two military institutions.

The UPDF and SANDF maintain warm relations and have cooperated in areas including military training exchanges and professional engagements.

General Maphwanya is among defence chiefs and military experts attending the conference, which opened on October 5 and concludes on October 8.

The conference has brought together defence and military operations experts from more than 18 countries, representatives of African Union regional bodies, as well as Force Commanders from United Nations and African Union peace support missions.

The meeting is examining how African countries can strengthen their military and institutional responses to emerging and non-traditional security threats confronting the continent.

Key areas under discussion include terrorism, organised crime, cyber warfare, public health emergencies, climate-related crises and natural disasters.

The conference comes amid growing calls for African countries to strengthen their capacity to respond to security challenges that increasingly extend beyond conventional warfare.

Military operations other than war have become an important component of modern defence planning, requiring armed forces to work alongside civilian authorities and regional and international partners during emergencies, peace support operations, humanitarian crises and other complex security situations.

The engagement between Generals Kainerugaba and Maphwanya therefore adds to the broader discussions at the conference on strengthening military cooperation and building effective responses to Africa’s evolving security environment.

The conference is expected to provide a platform for participating defence leaders and experts to share experiences, examine operational challenges and identify approaches for improving Africa’s capacity to manage both traditional and emerging security threats.

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