Kigali, 25 January 2022

H.E President Paul Kagame, the President of the Republic of Rwanda and Commander-in- Chief of Rwanda Defence Force today opened the 11th annual African Air Chiefs Symposium (AACS) at the Kigali Convention Centre, in Kigali City, Rwanda.

The symposium is a forum that brings together Air Chiefs from militaries on the African continent to discuss regional and continental issues, enhance relationship and increase cooperation among African Air Forces.

While addressing the participants of the symposium, President Paul Kagame urged African countries to prioritise partnerships. He said that many of Africa’s emerging security challenges are transnational in scope and no one country has the resources to respond to them alone.

The President said that strategic airlift is a critical component for the maintenance of peace and security on the continent, particularly for peacekeeping operations.

The US Ambassador to Rwanda, Peter H.Vrooman emphasised that collaboration is vital to solve security concerns and shape a better future for African continent.  He said that strategic airlift is very critical and partner nations should work together to provide each other airlift capabilities to address growing needs for the respective countries on the continent.

The AACS is being co-hosted by Rwanda Defence Force in partnership with the United States Air Forces Africa under the theme “Strategic Airlift”. The symposium attracted 30 member states of the Association of African Air Forces.