LUSAKA, Zambia

The 2024 African Land Forces Summit opened in Zambia’s tourist capital Livingstone on Monday, gathering under the theme ‘Regional Solutions to Transnational Problems.”

Over 500 delegates are gathered in the resort town representing 40 African states, Europe and the Americas to discuss collaborative efforts to address the complex security challenges facing the host continent.

Zambian Defense Minister Ambrose Lufuma said during the summit’s opening session that defense forces in Africa were key to ensuring peace on the continent to foster development.

“For any economic development to take place, a safe and secure environment is important, something that is not always the case, as there are a number of conflicts in Africa,” said Lufuma.

Zambia Army Commander Sitali Dennis Alibuzwi said the continent is currently faced with a number of challenges including terrorism, human trafficking, migration and climate change induced instabilities.

“It is therefore important for uniformed personnel to gather and share experiences to find solutions to challenges of a transnational nature because wars have adverse effects on development,” he said.

Maj. Gen. Todd Wasmund, commanding general of the US Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), said the US army has tremendous respect for Zambia's contribution to peace and security in the region and beyond.

“The US army is proud to work alongside its partners throughout Africa to boost its partners' ability to respond to threats posed by transnational criminal organizations and extremist organizations,” he added.