By Elia Chibwe

Lilongwe, September 10, Mana: U.S. Charge d’Affaires Amy Diaz on Tuesday underscored the significance of hosting the Africa Senior Enlisted Leader’s Conference (ASELC), saying it will assist in building strong relationships and collaboration and encourage Non-Commission Officers (NCO) to be the backbone of the militaries.

Speaking during the conference in Lilongwe, which was held under the theme, Diaz said the conference would enable addressing challenges across the African continent and wars that occur across the world.

“High global conflicts like terrorism issues in Mozambique, civil wars, conflicts across the African continent as well as wars like the invasion of Ukraine and conflicts between Israel and Gaza have put more pressure on militaries and security forces around the world which is why it is even more important that we forge strong relationships and promote security collaboration,” she said.

She said the theme of the conference encapsulates the essential qualities that define outstanding NCOs and highlights their shared commitment to leadership, excellence and collaboration.

“The NCOs we welcome today are the backbone of our military forces. They are the bridge between strategic vision and operational success. Their ability to lead, mentor and inspire is essential for maintaining the readiness and effectiveness of our forces.

“The capable NCO is a skilled practitioner who translates training into tangible results. The competent NCO brings a depth of knowledge and dedication that drives operational excellence and the credible NCO earns respect through unwavering integrity and reliability,” she said.

US African Command (US AFRICOM) Command Senior Enlisted Leader, Sergeant Major Michael Woods, said the conference plays a key role in resilience, reliability and trustworthiness among countries.

“This is where we come to collaborate, the goal is to come here and give as much as we should take, so we can go back to our countries, more reliable, more resilient, more trusted. So I would say that the level of importance we put on this is absolutely good,” Woods said.

Commander for Malawi Defense Force, General Dr Paul Valentino Phiri highlighted that the event is significant in venturing and forging an understanding of enlisted members from Malawi Defense Force and across the country.

“The conference is going to venture and forge an understanding of our enlisted members that are from MDF and across Africa on issues that obtain in the management of soldiers, specifically during peacetime and also during the conference over and above that to also understand the dynamics of conference and region and also beyond as continent,” Phiri said.

He said the conference would address issues to do with conflict management, the approach to the management of troops in terms of what they obtain in the battlefields and also standards that should be adhered to during peacetime.

In his speech, Phiri urged attendants to use the event as an opportunity to exchange insights, share best practices, and develop strategies that would enhance their collective security efforts.

The conference was organized by US AFRICOM under the theme “The Capable, Competent and Credible NCO”.