AFRICOM and ACSS address Africa's contemporary security challenges

STUTTGART, Germany — To enhance U.S. warfighter capabilities and deepen regional expertise, U.S. Africa Command partnered with the Africa Center for Strategic Studies (ACSS) to host a five-day seminar at Kelley Barracks focusing on Africa's evolving security landscape and the critical role of enduring partnerships Sept. 28 to Oct. 2, 2026.

The African continent is as large as it is diverse. With a vast number of ethnic groups speaking more than 2,000 languages within wildly distinct landscapes, one could spend a lifetime in Africa and still feel there is much more to discover. It is what makes AFRICOM, the U.S. combatant command tasked with overseeing U.S. security interests in Africa, a critical assignment requiring experience and insight.

To execute its mission, AFRICOM staff regularly engage with organizations and experts to enhance understanding and insight. One such relationship is with ACSS, a Washington-based institution focused on the study of security issues related to Africa.

“ACSS is a unique DoW institution as a regional center with a mandate to perform research related to African security issues and to engage in education and training with African security partners, both from security services as well as civilian security-related professionals on the continent,” said Ms. Amanda Dory, ACSS’s director.

The seminar, titled “Africa’s Contemporary Security Challenges,” was divided into four modules—U.S. interests, terrorism, competition and innovation—featuring panelists from ACSS, AFRICOM, African government officials and other industry leaders, experts and academics.

“The main purpose of our seminar this week is to focus on Africa's contemporary security challenges as a dynamic area and bring updates to the primary organization within the U.S. Department of War focusing on Africa,” said Dory. “In this engagement, our focus is on how can we support and strengthen the U.S. warfighters in their missions as they relate to U.S. security and African security.”

The seminar featured daily morning panels followed by afternoon discussion groups which further talked through topics such as African security institutions, technology, burden sharing and private sector partnerships.

During the AFRICOM keynote panel address, U.S. Air Force Gen. Dagvin Anderson, AFRICOM’s commander, spoke of Africa’s significance on the world stage, its growing demographics, and the importance of disrupting terrorism on the continent to protect the homeland.

Anderson noted relationship building through trust, respect and an understanding of the cultural environment are integral to the shared goals of ACSS and AFRICOM. Notably, through their frequent on-continent workshops and engagements with African security partners, ACSS succeeds in creating sustainable relationships.

“ACSS helps build the trust that makes enduring partnerships possible,” said Anderson. “Those relationships strengthen our ability to work alongside African partners toward shared security objectives. I think that works so beautifully, not only within the interagency context, but with the partners; the trinity of patience, respect, trust.”

For the Africa Center, the ideal outcome of the seminar was two-fold.

“The first outcome we are looking for is raising the level of knowledge, awareness and understanding of African security issues and our African partners as they take the lead in handling those issues for themselves,” said Dory.

The second outcome was to improve the mutual understanding between AFRICOM and ACSS staff to maximize the synergy between the organizations and African security partners.

The seminar concluded with a daylong simulation exercise focused on terrorist threats in West Africa—factoring in political, diplomatic and military engagement plus the information environment and other influences—to provide a hands-on scenario for participants to develop solutions to potential security challenges.

“We are very pleased to see the level of enthusiasm for the program itself and to engage in a very compelling, substantive dialog,” said Dory.

Ultimately, the seminar underscored that navigating Africa’s complex security landscape requires more than just strategic coordination—it demands a continuous commitment to the trust, mutual respect and enduring partnerships that safeguard both U.S. and African security interests.

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