KAMPALA, Uganda — Uganda will next week host the inaugural conference on Military Operations Other Than War (MOOTW), bringing together defence chiefs from 14 African countries, peace support mission commanders and representatives of continental and regional security organisations.
The four-day conference will take place at Speke Resort Munyonyo from October 5 to 8, 2026, according to a statement issued Thursday by the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs and the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF).
The conference will be hosted by Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who also serves as Senior Presidential Advisor for Special Operations.
The meeting will focus on the changing nature of security threats facing African countries and the role of militaries beyond conventional warfare.
Key areas on the agenda include transnational threats, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence, unmanned aerial systems, peace support operations, gender mainstreaming, climate change, disaster management, natural resources management and military support to civil authorities.
Other topics will include maritime and border security, space and environmental security, critical infrastructure, disease pandemics, external influence, and legal and ethical accountability.
Countries that have confirmed participation include Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.
The conference will also bring together representatives of the African Union, East African Standby Force (EASF), East African Community (EAC), Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), North African Regional Capability (NARC) and the Economic Community of West African States Commission (ECOWAS).
Commanders of several peace support missions are also expected, including those from AUSSOM in Somalia, MONUSCO in the Democratic Republic of Congo, UNISFA in Abyei, South Sudan, and UNMISS in Juba, South Sudan.
According to the statement, additional countries and organisations are expected to confirm participation.
The conference will examine military roles in situations that do not necessarily involve conventional armed conflict, including terrorism, natural disasters, pandemics, border security and support to civilian authorities.
Uganda will use its experience in peace support operations, counterterrorism, counterinsurgency, border security, disaster response and civil-military cooperation to inform discussions at the meeting.
The organisers said Uganda’s position is that Africa’s emerging security challenges cannot be addressed through military force alone.
“Africa’s emerging security threats cannot be mitigated solely through military force, but the employment of the whole of society and government approach.”
The statement said Uganda would promote an approach to MOOTW that is African-led, preventive, cooperative and focused on human security.
The conference comes amid an expanding security agenda for African militaries, where traditional defence responsibilities increasingly intersect with issues such as cyber threats, climate-related disasters, pandemics, technological change and protection of critical infrastructure.
Gen Muhoozi held a final planning meeting on Thursday with the strategic and technical committees preparing for the conference at the Special Forces Command headquarters in Entebbe.
The statement was signed by Col Chris Magezi, Acting Director of Defence Public Information at the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs/UPDF.
The organisers said the conference is intended to provide a platform for African military and regional security actors to exchange experiences and develop approaches to emerging security challenges that require cooperation between military institutions, governments and wider society.
