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AFRICOM hosts Accountability Colloquium
General Officer delegates to the Accountability Colloquium VI listen to a presentation being given in Lilongwe, Malawi, February 27, 2019. From right: Brigadier General Dan Kuwali, Malawi; Brigadier General Victor Mwita Kisiri, Tanzania; Brigadier General (Ret) Cyprien Ndikuriyo, Burundi; Major General Ramanka Josias Mokaloba, Lesotho; Brigadier General Sabino Jamba Machado, Angola; Brigadier General Cosmas Bretu Alhassan, Ghana; Brigadier General Posa Alphonce Stemere, Lesotho; (obscured) Brigadier General Mary Chaifullo, United States of America. (DoD Photo by U.S. Army Sergeant Edward A. Salcedo)
Photo by: Sgt. Edward Salcedo
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AFRICOM hosts Accountability Colloquium
U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Malawi Virginia Palmer gives her opening remarks to delegates from over 30 African nations attending the Accountability Colloquium VI in Lilongwe, Malawi, February 26, 2019. The Accountability Colloquium is an annual event hosted by United States Africa Command’s Office of Legal Counsel that brings together African military commanders and their legal advisors. (DoD Photo by U.S. Army Sergeant Edward A. Salcedo)
Photo by: Sgt. Edward Salcedo
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AFRICOM hosts Accountability Colloquium
Sandi Franzblau, Attorney Advisor with the United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM) Office of Legal Counsel, greets delegates on the second morning of the Accountability Colloquium VI, held in Lilongwe, Malawi, February 27, 2019. The Accountability Colloquium is an annual event hosted by USAFRICOM that seeks to create a collaborative forum for African legal professionals and military commanders to exchange information on topics related to African military operations. (DoD Photo by U.S. Army Sergeant Edward A. Salcedo)
Photo by: Sgt. Edward Salcedo
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AFRICOM hosts Accountability Colloquium
Brigadier General Dan Kuwali of the Malawi Defense Force gives the overview of the Program Goals at the beginning of Accountability Colloquium VI, held in Lilongwe, Malawi, on February 26, 2019. The Accountability Colloquium seeks to address issues related to accountability under the Law of Armed Conflict, as well as facilitate discussions related to military justice, command responsibility, and United Nations and African military operations. (DoD Photo by U.S. Army Sergeant Edward A. Salcedo)
Photo by: Sgt. Edward Salcedo
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AFRICOM hosts Accountability Colloquium
The female delegates to the Accountability Colloquium VI pose with U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Malawi Virginia Palmer in Lilongwe, Malawi, February 26, 2019. While militaries around the world are still heavily male-dominated, women have made large strides in breaking gender-based barriers in recent years. From left: Sandra Franzblau, Attorney Advisor with United States Africa Command’s Office of Legal Counsel; Major Wendi Sazama, United States of America; Brigadier General Mary Chaifullo; Captain Momosa Mary Griffiths; Ambassador Virginia Palmer; Lieutenant Beene Mudenda Mutinda; Captain Thomasin Tumpale Gondwe; Mtendere Gondwe, Representative from the African Union; Lieutenant Colonel Laura Roman.
Photo by: Sgt. Edward Salcedo
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AFRICOM hosts Accountability Colloquium
A group photo of the delegates to Accountability Colloquium VI in Lilongwe, Malawi, February 27, 2019.
Photo by: Sgt. Edward Salcedo
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AFRICOM hosts Accountability Colloquium
Delegates to the Accountability Colloquium VI in Lilongwe, Malawi, take notes on a presentation being given on Future Conflicts in Africa and Legal Challenges, February 26, 2019. The Accountability Colloquium is an annual event hosted by United States Africa Command that seeks to create a collaborative forum for African legal professionals and military commanders to exchange information on topics related to African military operations. (DoD Photo by U.S. Army Sergeant Edward A. Salcedo)
Photo by: Sgt. Edward Salcedo
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AFRICOM hosts Accountability Colloquium
Delegates to the Accountability Colloquium VI talk to each other about a recent presentation during a short break on February 27, 2019. The Accountability Colloquium is an annual event hosted by United States Africa Command’s Office of Legal Counsel that seeks to create a collaborative forum for military commanders and their legal advisors to exchange information on topics related to African military operations. This iteration of Accountability Colloquium is being hosted in Lilongwe, Malawi. (DoD Photo by U.S. Army Sergeant Edward A. Salcedo)
Photo by: Sgt. Edward Salcedo
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AFRICOM hosts Accountability Colloquium
The gathered delegates to the Accountability Colloquium VI in Lilongwe, Malawi, on February 28, 2019. The Accountability Colloquium is an annual event hosted by United States Africa Command’s Office of Legal Counsel that seeks to create a collaborative forum for military commanders and their legal advisors to exchange information on topics related to African military operations. This iteration featured over 80 participants from 30 African nations. (DoD Photo by U.S. Army Sergeant Edward A. Salcedo)
Photo by: Sgt. Edward Salcedo
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AFRICOM hosts Accountability Colloquium
Changwe Mandishi translates English-language speakers’ questions and speeches into French during the Accountability Colloquium VI in Lilongwe, Malawi, February 26, 2019. The conference, which features delegates from 30 African countries, is presented in English, French, and Portuguese, with translation service occurring in real time. (DoD Photo by U.S. Army Sergeant Edward A. Salcedo)
Photo by: Sgt. Edward Salcedo
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AFRICOM hosts Accountability Colloquium
Captain Sunday Michael Akinkunmi salutes Brigadier General Dan Kuwali before receiving his Certificate of Participation for attending the Accountability Colloquium VI in Lilongwe, Malawi, on February 28, 2019. The Accountability Colloquium is an annual event hosted by United States Africa Command’s Office of Legal Counsel that seeks to create a collaborative forum for military commanders and their legal advisors to exchange information on topics related to African military operations. This iteration featured over 80 participants from 30 African nations. (DoD Photo by U.S. Army Sergeant Edward A. Salcedo)
Photo by: Sgt. Edward Salcedo
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AFRICOM hosts Accountability Colloquium
Colonel Gabriel Udoh Akpan receives his Certificate of Participation from Mr. Mark D. “Max” Maxwell on the final day of the Accountability Colloquium VI in Lilongwe, Malawi, on February 28, 2019. The Accountability Colloquium is an annual event hosted by United States Africa Command’s Office of Legal Counsel that seeks to create a collaborative forum for military commanders and their legal advisors to exchange information on topics related to African military operations. This iteration featured over 80 participants from 30 African nations. (DoD Photo by U.S. Army Sergeant Edward A. Salcedo)
Photo by: Sgt. Edward Salcedo
Republic of Malawi -- U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) hosts the sixth iteration of the Accountability Colloquium- a specialized conference on military operations for African military commanders, chief of staff, and legal advisors throughout the continent from Feb. 26-28 in Lilongwe, Republic of Malawi.
The Accountability Colloquium, an annually-held conference, discussed the current legal issues and importance of operational commanders to seek advice from their legal advisors to ensure adherence to the rule of law with approximately 80 delegates and 30 African Nations in attendance.
Brig. Gen. Dan Kuwali, chief of legal service in the Malawi Defense Force, stated that the military relationships between the legal advisors and military commanders ensure operations are conducted in accordance with the law.
This particular engagement and exchange of information was intended to give military legal advisors from AFRICOM’s strategic planning department the opportunity to focus on the African military legal professional and commander relationship as well as facilitate discussions and exercises related to military justice, command responsibility, and United Nations and African Union operations. During the 3-day forum, the delegates and personnel discussed the importance of access for the law in sake of creating an ethical military.
“I’m struck by how candid the military commanders were in describing their challenges,” said Sandra Franzblau, AFRICOM Office of Legal Counsel. “Over the years of working on the Accountability Colloquium, it is gratifying to see that candidness is occurring. Part of what we do is bridge capability gaps and get the professionals in the room who really know their issues, commanders and legal advisors that are working in African militaries, and we get them talking.”
Discussions throughout the conference were tempered with realism, as participants weighed new ideas with an understanding of military justice in the country. The attendees brought with them an impressive array of prior experiences to help define a better understanding of African military operations subject to the rule of law in Africa.
"It's essential to have access to legal advice, and it's even better to have more than one attorney so that they have the opportunity to converse with one another, so that no legal issues are missed," Franzblau said.
