Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) Deputy Chief of Defence Forces, Lt Gen Sam Okiding, has called on African militaries to strengthen intelligence-led, coordinated and proactive operations as security threats increasingly move beyond conventional warfare.

Okiding made the remarks on Wednesday during the opening session of the Chiefs of Defence Intelligence and Security meeting in Munyonyo, Kampala. The meeting is part of the inaugural African Chiefs of Defence Forces Conference on Military Operations Other Than War.

According to the Defence Press Unit, Okiding said the changing security environment requires military institutions to rethink traditional approaches and make operations other than war a central part of national and regional security strategies.

“Military operations in the world are no longer secondary. They are at the forefront of national and regional security strategies,” Okiding said.

The Deputy CDF emphasised that actionable intelligence remains critical to the success of both kinetic and non-kinetic military operations.

He identified humanitarian crises, terrorism, transnational organised crime, irregular migration and the effects of climate change among the emerging challenges requiring stronger intelligence, coordination and preparedness.

Okiding also urged African countries to treat resilience-building as a continuous process rather than a one-off intervention.

He called for deliberate and systematic measures to identify and respond to emerging security threats, while urging African militaries to modernise their equipment, strengthen training and adapt their strategies to the changing security environment.

“We must elevate our strategy, redefine our training and modernise our equipment properly. We must fundamentally shift our mindset. This is not a question of capacity; it is a matter of strategy and theory,” he said.

Okiding further called on conference participants to put African interests and the welfare of the continent’s people at the centre of military decision-making.

He said the conference should go beyond discussions and help redefine how African militaries approach operations outside traditional combat.

“We did not gather to learn new concepts, but to redefine our approach to military operations other than war,” he said.

The Deputy CDF commended President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, UPDF Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba and other African military leaders for supporting regional partnerships and efforts to strengthen cooperation in addressing common security challenges.

He also urged implementing agencies to translate resolutions from the Kampala conference into practical measures and involve relevant stakeholders to ensure that agreed decisions produce results at national, regional and continental levels.

The four-day African Chiefs of Defence Forces Conference on Military Operations Other Than War is being held in Kampala from October 5 to 8, 2026.

The conference brings together African defence chiefs, senior military leaders and representatives of continental and regional organisations to discuss emerging security challenges and strengthen cooperation. The event is being hosted by Uganda through the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs and the UPDF.

The wider conference agenda includes transnational threats, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence, unmanned aerial systems, peace support operations, climate change, disaster management, border security, critical infrastructure, pandemics and military support to civil authorities.

The opening session attended by Okiding included UPDF Chief of Joint Staff Lt Gen Jack Bakasumba, general officers, African delegates, representatives of the African Union, Regional Economic Communities and Regional Mechanisms.

The meeting comes as African militaries seek to strengthen their ability to respond to security challenges that cannot be addressed through conventional military force alone.