KAMPALA, October 1, 2026 — Uganda will next week host the inaugural conference on Military Operations Other Than War (MOOTW), bringing together military chiefs, peace support mission commanders and regional security organisations from across Africa.
The four-day conference, organised by the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs and the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF), will take place at Speke Resort Munyonyo from October 5 to 8, 2026.
Chiefs of Defence Forces from 14 African countries are expected to attend the conference, alongside representatives of the African Union, regional economic communities and security mechanisms.
The development was revealed by Col Chris Magezi, Acting Director of Defence Public Information at the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs/UPDF, in a press statement issued on Thursday.
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 Peace and Security Architecture (APSA), 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 (ECOWAS) Commission.
Commanders of major peace support missions, including AUSSOM in Somalia, MONUSCO in the Democratic Republic of Congo, UNISFA in Abyei and UNMISS in South Sudan, are also expected to participate.
The conference will focus on the changing nature of security threats facing African countries and the role of armed forces in responding to challenges that extend beyond conventional warfare.
Key areas on the agenda include transnational threats, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence, unmanned aerial systems, peace support operations, climate change, disaster management, maritime and border security, critical infrastructure and disease pandemics.
Participants will also discuss gender mainstreaming, natural resources management, military support to civil authorities, space and environmental security, external influence, and legal and ethical accountability.
Uganda is expected to use the conference to promote an approach to security that goes beyond the deployment of military force.
According to the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs, Uganda’s position is that emerging security threats require a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach, combining military capabilities with civilian and institutional responses.
The country will promote what the ministry described as an African, preventive, cooperative and human-security-focused approach to Military Operations Other Than War.
Uganda’s position is informed by its involvement in peace support operations, counter-terrorism, counterinsurgency, border security, disaster response and civil-military cooperation.
UPDF Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who is also Senior Presidential Advisor for Special Operations, is scheduled to host the conference.
On Thursday, Gen Muhoozi held a final planning meeting with the strategic and technical committees at the Special Forces Command headquarters in Entebbe ahead of the event.
The Ministry said additional countries and organisations are expected to confirm their participation before the conference opens.
