U.S. Africa Command

The AFRICOM chaplain delegation, led by U.S. Army Chaplain Colonel Karen Meeker, concluded a series of meetings with key religious leaders in Cairo, Egypt, including His Holiness Theodoros II, Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, to foster peace and stability across the continent, March 17, 2025. Hosted at St. Nicolas Church, the delegation discussed shared values of resilience and service with diverse faith leaders, recognizing their critical role in supporting vulnerable communities through schools, hospitals, and orphanages in conflict zones. This engagement laid the groundwork for Strategic Religious Leader Engagement (SRLE), including a collaboration with an Egyptian university to train chaplains and religious leaders in conflict resolution and peacebuilding, positioning Egypt as a regional hub for interfaith training. By leveraging the Patriarch’s extensive influence and AFRICOM’s expertise in ethical guidance, this partnership underscores the importance of addressing social, economic, and religious factors to achieve lasting security, with plans for continued collaboration to promote unity, resilience, and mutual understanding across Africa. U.S. Africa Command is one of seven U.S. Department of Defense geographic combatant commands. The command is responsible for all U.S. military operations, exercises, and security cooperation, and conducts crisis response on the African continent to advance U.S. interests and promote regional security, stability, and prosperity. (US. Navy photo by Courtesy Contributor)