Rwanda hosts inaugural International Security Conference on Africa (ISCA)
The inaugural International Security Conference on Africa (ISCA) opened in Rwanda’s capital, Kigali, on Monday, May 19.
Themed “Reshaping Africa’s Landscape in a Dynamic, Complex Global Environment,” the two-day forum attracted defense, intelligence, and security players to tackle pressing security challenges and collaborate for the future.
Exhibitors, including the Rwanda Engineering and Manufacturing Corporation (REMCO), showcased rifles, armoured vehicles, body armour, and other military hardware.
President Paul Kagame used the forum to issue a rallying call for Africa to work towards self-reliance in security, saying it cannot be ‘outsourced’.
Kagame said that security in Africa has been treated as a “burden to be managed by others with minimal input from us and often without the benefit of our context or consent.”
Kagame said the approach has failed and called for a shift away from the notion that Africa is limited to a supporting role in global peace and security discussions, describing ISCA as a purposeful effort to transform both the perception and the actual involvement of Africa in these critical conversations.
The head of state further called for stronger regional bodies, including the African Union and its Peace and Security Council, to lead on managing the continent’s security challenges.
