The Minister of Defence, Manaur Dan – Ali has said that there is no pure military solution to asymmetric security challenges. He observed that the complex nature of the root causes of the conflicts calls for a comprehensive approach which include political, socio – economic, military responses that see the civilian and military actors and other agencies working together.
Gen Ali who was represented by the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Gabriel Olorinsakin stated this at a seminar, entitled “International Seminar on Managing Asymmetric Security Challenges in the 21st Century” organized by the Nigerian Army Resource Centre, Abuja.
He stressed that the starting point for realizing the above requires the military to have a holistic view and an excellent understanding of how asymmetric security challenges and conflicts mutate from latent to violence stages.
He reiterated that understanding the root causes of any conflict is necessary if the military is to continue to play its role in countering and managing these threats in the most professional way.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lt Gen Tukur Yusuf Buratai emphasized the need for the global community to synergize and collaborate in managing the challenges of asymmetric security in the 21st century. He said achieving success in tackling asymmetric security challenges and new threats is a collective responsibility as no single country or region can efficiently and effectively address these threats.
“This further underscores the need for nation states to collaborate and synergize with one another through various platforms to effectively tackle the menace.
“One way to achieve this is through capacity building and training that would enable stakeholders understand the character and characteristics of the actors involved in the asymmetric Warfare.
“Managing the complexities of these contemporary threats has become a fundamental challenge in view of their globalized nature and linkages”, he said.
PICTURE STORY FROM THE SEMINAR
[images_grid type=”carousel” title=”PICTURE STORY FROM THE SEMINAR” auto_slide=”no” auto_duration=”1″ cols=”three” lightbox=”no” source=”media: 3791,3799,3794,3792,3728,3793,3798,3796,3797,3789″][/images_grid]
At the end of the four – day seminar, the participants unanimously upheld that the only panacea in confronting the challenges of asymmetric security is collaboration among countries if the world is to remain peaceful and a better place for all.
The seminar attracted resource persons and participants from African Centre for Strategic Studies, United State America, Cranfield University, UK, Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, United Kingdom; Igbenedion University, Nigeria and Central Bank of Nigeria. There were also delegates from Angola, Brazil, Cameroon, Congo, China, Ghana, Egypt, Niger, Denmark, Kenya, Turkey, Chad, Russia, Netherland, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, South Sudan, Sierra Leone and Zimbabwe. Others are senior military officers both serving and retired and other Para – military agencies.
The high point of the event was the presentation of certificates to the participants.
