On 7 June 2023, a military delegation led by the Director of NATO's Cooperative Security Division, Lieutenant General Francesco Diella, was in Addis Ababa for the 8th iteration of military-to-military talks between NATO and the African Union. Discussions centred on the global security environment and security challenges, the ongoing cooperation between both organisations, NATO's support to the African Stand-by Forces, education, training and exercises, as well as NATO' Standardization process.
The meeting was officially opened by Mr. Zinurine Alghali, Acting Head of Peace Support Operations Division, African Union Commission (AUC), who welcomed the NATO delegation to the African Union Commission HQ for the 8th NATO-AU Military to Military Staff Talks. He expressed his appreciation to NATO for its support towards one of the main AUC-led activities - the African Standby Force (ASF) Reconceptualization Workshop held this April - as well as to the NATO Senior Military Liaison Office for the active collaboration with the AUC. He highlighted the importance of these Military-to-Military Staff Talks and the necessity to continue enhancing the partnership between the two organizations through further joint efforts.
Lieutenant General Antonio Lamas Xavier, Head of the African Union (AU), received Lieutenant General Francesco Diella, Director of the Cooperative Security Division, and respective delegations to this year's talks in Addis Ababa, thanking NATO for its support in organising them. He emphasised the importance of a strong NATO-AU security cooperation, in light of current and emerging security threats, adding that the current situation in Africa requires a more robust response from the AU. It is therefore crucial to engage in joint efforts to address the common security threats, and strengthen the cooperation, friendship and brotherhood between the two organizations, Lieutenant General Xavier noted.
In his opening remarks, Lieutenant General Francesco Diella expressed his appreciation to the AU leadership for their hospitality and their commitment to organising the 8th Military-to-Military Staff Talks. "Our presence here, as representatives of NATO and the African Union, signifies our commitment to addressing common security concerns and advancing stability in our regions", he stated, stressing the importance of strengthening partnerships and fostering a robust framework for cooperation in a volatile security landscape. Lieutenant General Francesco Diella also emphasized that NATO, as a military and political alliance, is seeking to increase its engagement and cooperation at the political level: "NATO and the African Union bring unique perspectives, experiences, and capabilities to the table. By joining efforts and leveraging our collective expertise, we can create a stronger, more resilient security architecture that responds effectively to the complex challenges we face".
Both delegations then briefed respectively on topics of mutual interests. Kicking off the programme, Mr. Michel Soula, Head of Section in the NATO's Political Affairs and Security Policy Division, provided an overview of the NATO-AU political engagement and its way ahead. Taking the floor next, representatives from SHAPE and the Joint Force Command Naples briefed on opportunities for NATO to support the AU's ongoing and emerging Peace and Security Operations. Resuming his intervention, Lieutenant General Xavier provided an overview on the state of play of the African Stand-by Forces (ASF), which paved the way for an engaging discussion on the main requirements for NATO's support, with a focus on the police and civilian ASF components. NATO operational support also includes strategic air- and sealift, as well as planning support for the AU mission in Somalia.
The discussions then turned to NATO's operational, logistical and capacity-building support to the African Union. This is also done through exercises, education and training, which - in the words of Lieutenant General Diella- , "are a very important part of military life" and "one of the core pillars necessary to build up reliable, effective and credible armed forces, and a key pillar of our cooperation". Within this framework, the NATO Strategic Direction South Hub represented by its Director, Brigadier General Aydin Kilic, reiterated the importance of a strengthened NATO-AU cooperation. The last session of the day focussed on NATO' Standardization process.
The talks provided a platform to set the ground for the work laying ahead, in the coming year and beyond. Both co-chairs agreed to declare the Military-to-Military Staff Talks a successful exercise in terms of fruitful dialogue and mutual understanding, and recognized the need for concerted planning and action to solve present and future issues of common concern. "Let us remain committed to open lines of communication and information sharing, all of which will serve to strengthen our cooperation and ensure a safer world for all. Let us go forth with renewed determination, working side by side, as we strive to create a future of peace, security, and prosperity for all", said Lieutenant General Diella closing the event.
Representatives from the NATO International Staff as well as from NATO Allied Command Transformation, the NATO Strategic Direction South Hub Naples, Allied Joint Force Command Naples and SHAPE's (Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe) (OMA) OPS J3 Operations, Missions and Activities were also in attendance and took an active part in the discussion.
The last MIL2MIL Staff Talks were held on 17-18 October 2022, at NATO's Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium.
