APF draws 12 African partner nations for military to military engagement in Ghana.

The four-day conference focused on a Global Network of Navies approach to enhancing collaborative efforts to achieve maritime security in the maritime domain around Africa.

Ghana and Cabo Verde key participants in annual exercise

When pirates hijacked the MT MAXIMUS in the Gulf of Guinea in mid-February, collaboration between four West African nations, with assistance from the U.S. and France, allowed the African navies to track, interdict the vessel, free 18 hostages and apprehend the pirates.

“The men sent my parents away at the point of their AK-47, then they raped me.”

Cynthia Petrigh, from Beyond Peace, discusses gender based violence at U.S. AFRICOM’s Fourth Africa Accountability Colloquium (ACIV) on “Responding to Gender Based Violence During Peace Operations.” Nearly 40 military legal professional and commanders from 20 African countries have come together in an effort to lay the foundation for responding to sexual violence allegations that occur during peacekeeping operations. The annual event is once again being hosted by the International Institute of Humanitarian Law (IIHL) in Sanremo, Italy, Mar. 1-3, 2016. (U.S. Africa Command photo by Brenda Law/RELEASED)

Commandant Ngarhordje Dedjiri and her colleague from Chad hear opening comments at the U.S. AFRICOM's Fourth Africa Accountability Colloquium (ACIV) on “Responding to Gender Based Violence During Peace Operations.” Nearly 40 military legal professional and commanders from 20 African countries have come together in an effort to lay the foundation for responding to sexual violence allegations that occur during peacekeeping operations. The annual event is once again being hosted by the International Institute of Humanitarian Law (IIHL) in Sanremo, Italy, Mar. 1-3, 2016. (U.S. Africa Command photo by Brenda Law/RELEASED)

Group photo of participants of the U.S. AFRICOM’s Fourth Africa Accountability Colloquium (ACIV) on “Responding to Gender Based Violence During Peace Operations.” Nearly 40 military legal professional and commanders from 20 African countries have come together in an effort to lay the foundation for responding to sexual violence allegations that occur during peacekeeping operations. The annual event is once again being hosted by the International Institute of Humanitarian Law (IIHL) in Sanremo, Italy, Mar. 1-3, 2016. (U.S. Africa Command photo by Brenda Law/RELEASED)

Former African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) Commander, Maj. Gen. Fred Mugisha draws an African spear as an analogy to describe the challenge of executing peace operations where multiple systems of law are in use, and soldiers require the support of their command in confronting extraordinary logistical challenges." Mugisha delivered the keynote address at the U.S. AFRICOM’s Fourth Africa Accountability Colloquium (ACIV) on “Responding to Gender Based Violence During Peace Operations.” Nearly 40 military legal professional and commanders from 20 African countries have come together in an effort to lay the foundation for responding to sexual violence allegations that occur during peacekeeping operations. The annual event is once again being hosted by the International Institute of Humanitarian Law (IIHL) in Sanremo, Italy, Mar. 1-3, 2016. (U.S. Africa Command photo by Brenda Law/RELEASED)

Legal Counsel to the Commander, U.S. Africa Command, U.S. Marine Col. Donald Riley delivers comments at AFRICOM’s Fourth Africa Accountability Colloquium (ACIV) on “Responding to Gender Based Violence During Peace Operations.” Nearly 40 military legal professional and commanders from 20 African countries have come together in an effort to lay the foundation for responding to sexual violence allegations that occur during peacekeeping operations. The annual event is once again being hosted by the International Institute of Humanitarian Law (IIHL) in Sanremo, Italy, Mar. 1-3, 2016. (U.S. Africa Command photo by Brenda Law/RELEASED)

Deputy Chief of Legal Services for the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces, Col. Godard Busingye, (left), and President of the International Institute of Humanitarian Law (IIHL), Prof. Fausto Pocar at the U.S. AFRICOM’s Fourth Africa Accountability Colloquium (ACIV) on “Responding to Gender Based Violence During Peace Operations.” Nearly 40 military legal professional and commanders from 20 African countries have come together in an effort to lay the foundation for responding to sexual violence allegations that occur during peacekeeping operations. The annual event is once again being hosted by the International Institute of Humanitarian Law (IIHL) in Sanremo, Italy, Mar. 1-3, 2016. (U.S. Africa Command photo by Brenda Law/RELEASED)

Four-day event attracts more than 200 disaster preparedness experts from West Africa, Europe and the U.S.

His Excellency Dr. Toga Gayewea McIntosh, Vice President of the Economic Community of West African Nations, delivers a keynote address during the opening ceremony of the West Africa Disaster Preparedness Initiative Way Forward Conference in Accra, Ghana. (U.S. Africa Command photo by Nate Herring/RELEASED)

The West Africa Disaster Preparedness Initiative Way Forward conference opened with speakers from various West African, international, and U.S. agencies. (U.S. Africa Command photo by Nate Herring/RELEASED)

U.S. Marines and sailors and U.K. Royal Marine Commandos recently completed partner-nation training in multiple countries in Africa during Africa Partnership Station.

African military lawyers meet U.S. counterparts to discuss Rule of Law

“The Rule of Law is our most important export.” – U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Steven Hummer, AFRICOM Dep. Cdr. for Military Operations. Military lawyers from 17 African nations have joined U.S. counterparts to discuss a variety of legal topics during a forum hosted by U.S. Africa Command, Mar. 17-19, 2015, at the U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart, Kelley Barracks. (U.S. Africa Command photo by Brenda Law/RELEASED)

J6 Military-to-Military communications engagement brings women from African partner nations face to face with U.S. female military counterparts

U.S. Africa Command’s Directorate of Command, Control, Communications and Computer Systems (J6) recently hosted a group of female military personnel from nine African countries in a “military-to-military” engagement that focused on building relationships and sharing best practices. The event, conducted in Atlanta, Forts Gordon and Lee, and the Pentagon Sept. 14-20, consisted of cultural events, demonstrations in communications technologies and panel discussions with U.S. counterparts on how military women can serve in promoting peace and security. (Photos by Brenda Law, U.S. Africa Command Public Affairs/Released)