Military religious leaders from 10 West African countries are attending a symposium in Accra designed to strengthen spiritual readiness, deepen regional partnerships and foster ethical unity.
The symposium - West Africa Religious Affairs Symposium (WARAS), is the first-time religious chaplains from other countries are gathering for the cause of religious support in the military.
It is co-hosted by the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) alongside the Ghana Armed Forces and is meant to bring them together to broaden their cooperation and commitment to use religion as a unifying force for peace and stability.
The participating countries present for the symposium that started on Tuesday, July 14, are Ghana, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Gabon, Gambia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Togo.
Significance of religion
In a digital press briefing organised as part of the symposium, the Command Chaplain for US AFRICOM, Chaplain Col Kevin Forrester and the Religious Affairs Senior Enlisted Leader, US AFRICOM, Sergeant Major Herinah Asaah, took turns to brief the media across the region about the symposium and answer pertinent questions related to it.
Chaplain Col Forrester said across Africa, there was not a single country where religion was not a significant factor influencing the people and culture, which in the military was known as the centre of gravity.
He said regional stability and prosperity required institutional strength, ethical practice and the moral foundation that religious traditions provided, and chaplains possessed a unique and strategic advantage of being able to impart those virtues and values in their respective military communities.
"Because we operate in harmony with our respective faith traditions, chaplains can engage partner nations on the foundational levels of culture, faith and shared humanity that transcend traditional barriers.
By bringing these religious leaders together, we are building bridges where others cannot, establishing a shared framework of trust and interoperability across West Africa," he said.
Chaplain Col. Forrester described investing in military chaplain partnerships as a direct investment in regional stability and peace, adding that across Africa, religion was vital to human flourishing.
"If a soldier is not morally and ethically grounded, they cannot sustain the challenges of the modern operational environment.
By strengthening these partnerships, we ensure our militaries are resilient, respected by their communities and ready to meet the complex security challenges that these soldiers and service members face in their countries," he said.
He said that as military chaplains, they had two responsibilities - to advise their commands on morals, ethics and the impact of religion on the day-to-day needs of service members and also advise commanders on the impact of religion on the operations in a given area.
Sergeant Major Asaah said stability in the West African region required all nations to work together, and the symposium reinforced that it could be done militarily, culturally, economically and spiritually.
