US, Ghana Armed Forces host planning event for African Land Forces Summit in Accra

Photo By Neil Ruggiero | U.S. Army Sgt. Maj. Shanette Robinson, U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), African Land Forces Symposium (ALFS) planning team member discusses ALFS 25 with a member of the Ghanian Armed Forces in Accra, Ghana on November 5th, 2024. Military planners for U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), and the Ghana Armed Forces visited several sites in Accra, Ghana, November 5-8, 2024, for the African Land Forces Summit (ALFS) main planning event. The planning event is part of ongoing preparation for African Land Forces Summit (ALFS) 2025, scheduled for April 7-11, in Accra. ALFS is a weeklong Chief of Staff of the Army event that hosts leaders from more than forty African countries for training and partnership-building with U.S. Army leaders. Last year ALFS took place in Livingstone, Zambia. ALFS 25 marks the return of ALFS to West Africa. Previous West African cohosts of ALFS include Senegal in 2010, Nigeria in 2018, and Cote d’Ivoire in 2023. The main planning event sets the stage for SETAF-AF and Ghanian planners to work together to build the event schedule, develop the ALFS 25 theme, and invite experts and leaders to present topics. In the months leading up to ALFS, planners will continue to meet with Ghanian officials and businesses to tour potential venues, and culturally significant locations. (U.S. Army photo by Neil Ruggiero)  

ACCRA, GHANA

11.08.2024

Story by Neil Ruggiero 

U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa

ACCRA, Ghana (Nov. 8) — Planning teams from the U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) and the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) gathered in Accra this week to continue planning for the upcoming African Land Forces Summit (ALFS) scheduled for April 7-11, 2025. The main planning event, co-hosted by SETAF-AF and the GAF took place Nov. 4-8, setting the stage for the continent-wide summit that will bring together land force leaders from across Africa.

The planning sessions focused on logistical arrangements, security protocols, and critical topics to be addressed at the summit. ALFS aims to strengthen partnerships, enhance military cooperation, and address common security challenges African nations face.

“ALFS gives us a unique chance to work closely with our African partners, sharing perspectives on issues that affect the entire continent,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Rob Miller, SETAF-AF’s lead planner for ALFS 2025. “The groundwork we’ve laid here will be essential to ensuring a strong, effective summit with our Ghanaian partners this spring.”

Established in 2010, the African Land Forces Summit has become a vital platform for dialogue and collaboration among African military leaders and international partners. This year's event marks the first time Ghana will cohost the summit.

African Land Forces Summit 25 is expected to draw military leaders and academics from across Africa, Europe, and North America. It will serve as a platform for strategic discussions and collaborative efforts to address the complex security challenges facing Africa.

The spotlight now shifts to the final preparations for ALFS 25.

About SETAF-AF: SETAF-AF provides U.S. Africa Command and U.S. Army Europe & Africa a dedicated headquarters to synchronize Army activities in Africa and scalable crisis-response options in Africa and Europe.

For more information on the African Land Forces Summit, please visit https://www.dvidshub.net/feature/ALFS

• Date Taken: 11.08.2024
• Date Posted: 11.14.2024 02:43
• Story ID: 485149
• Location: ACCRA, GH