African Union Peace Fund Ambassador Visits National Defence College

The Director of the African Union Peace Fund Secretariat, Her Excellency, Dagmatit Moges Bekele paid a courtesy visit to the National Defence College (NDC), Nigeria, as part of efforts to strengthen partnerships in strategic military education and peace support operations across the continent.

Mrs. Bekele, who was accompanied by two senior officials of the AU Peace Fund, was received on behalf of the Commandant, Rear Admiral Olumuyiwa Olotu, by the Deputy Commandant and Director of Studies, Major General Kelvin Ukandu. Also on hand to receive the delegation were the Provost, Centre for Strategic Research and Studies (CSRS), some directors, and faculty members of the College.

In her remarks, Mrs. Bekele underscored the core mission of the African Union Peace Fund, which is to support African-led solutions to peace and security challenges. She commended the NDC for its role in strategic-level military education and research, particularly in areas such as peace support operations and counter-terrorism financing. She further noted the AU’s interest in deepening collaboration with the College, especially in mutually beneficial initiatives driven through the CSRS.

During the visit, the delegation was briefed on the College’s programmes, ongoing research activities, and its contributions to regional and continental peace and security discourse. Discussions also explored potential areas of collaboration between the AU Peace Fund and the NDC, particularly in training, research, and policy support.

In his welcome remarks, Major General Ukandu expressed appreciation for the visit and reaffirmed the commitment of NDC to partnering with the African Union in pursuit of sustainable peace and security in Africa. He emphasised that the NDC, through its various academic and research programmes, remains open to strategic partnerships that align with its mission of developing future leaders for national and international security.