Kigali, Rwanda – Somalia’s Land Force Commander, Brigadier General Sahal Abdullahi, joined his counterparts from more than 30 African nations in Kigali, Rwanda, on Tuesday for the 2nd Land Forces Commanders Symposium (LFCS) — a high-level gathering aimed at strengthening military cooperation and addressing shared security challenges across the continent.
The symposium, hosted by the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) in collaboration with the United States Army Africa Command (AFRICOM), provided a rare platform for commanders to exchange strategies on counterterrorism, peacekeeping, and stabilization operations. For Somalia, which continues to confront Al-Shabaab insurgents, the meeting carried particular significance.
Brig. Gen. Abdullahi underscored Somalia’s ongoing military operations to reclaim territories from Al-Shabaab and emphasized the importance of regional collaboration in defeating terrorism. He noted that while Somalia has made major strides in reclaiming areas from the militants, sustaining security requires consistent regional backing, intelligence sharing, and joint operational planning.
The Somali commander also highlighted the country’s security transition process as the African Union mission, AUSSOM, gradually hands over responsibilities to Somali forces. His participation reflects Somalia’s growing role in shaping Africa’s collective security agenda and its commitment to building a professional, unified national army.
In Kigali, discussions also touched on modernizing military training, logistics management, and adapting to emerging threats such as cyber warfare and climate-induced conflicts. The forum allowed Somali defense officials to learn from the experiences of other nations that have successfully built strong, adaptive security institutions under challenging conditions.
Brig. Gen. Abdullahi’s engagement at the symposium signaled Somalia’s determination to position itself not merely as a recipient of regional security assistance, but as an active partner in Africa’s broader peace and stability efforts.
The Kigali symposium concludes later this week with a joint declaration aimed at reinforcing collaboration among African land forces — a step that Somali officials believe will further bolster ongoing efforts to secure long-term peace and stability in the Horn of Africa.