The second session of the ongoing Land Forces Commanders Symposium 2025 in Kigali featured a thought-provoking panel discussion under the theme “Promoting Bilateralism as a Complementary Option to Multilateralism.”
During the session, panellists insisted on the critical importance of active collaboration among nations as a means of enabling rapid and timely responses to crises, particularly in situations where saving lives is at stake.
They emphasized that while multilateral frameworks remain essential in addressing complex global and regional challenges, bilateral cooperation offers flexibility and speed, allowing partners to act decisively and efficiently.
The discussion highlighted the complementarity between bilateral and multilateral interventions, noting that both approaches play indispensable roles in humanitarian operations, disaster response, and peace support missions.
Speakers further called for strengthening regional partnerships and leveraging existing bilateral relations to enhance operational readiness and coordination among armed forces.
The overarching message was clear: collaboration—whether bilateral or multilateral—is not a matter of choice, but of necessity when human lives are at risk.
The Land Forces Commanders Symposium 2025 continues in Kigali, bringing together senior military leaders, policymakers, and defense experts from across the continent to discuss strategies for cooperation, stability, and resilience in Africa’s evolving security landscape.
