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

AFRICOM's Fourth Africa Accountability Colloquium is underway at the International Institute of Humanitarian Law

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)

U.S. Army Africa’s senior noncommissioned officers take a step back as Malawi Defence Force soldiers take charge instructing their own at the Malawi Sergeants Major Course, located in the city of Salima, Malawi.

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)

Ten journalists from Botswana and Malawi got an in-depth look at U.S. Africa Command during a visit to the AFRICOM headquarters Nov. 17-21, 2014. The journalists, consisting of radio, television and newspaper reporters, along with a military public affairs officer from each country, attended as part of the AFRICOM Media Delegation Program. Run by the AFRICOM Office of Public Affairs, the program enhances African journalists’ understanding of the command’s mission, operations, programs and engagements on the African continent.

Ten journalists from Botswana and Malawi are in Stuttgart this week as participants of a media delegation to learn about U.S. Africa Command.

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)

For two weeks in July, more than 220 officers and NCO's from 10 countries converged on the Malawi Armed Forces College to share knowledge and exchange ideas at Exercise Southern Accord 14. Led by U.S. Army Africa, the U.S. Africa Command-sponsored exercise included several days of instruction from the U.N. Integrated Training Service and U.S. Army Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute and simulated the deployment of a peacekeeping force in a realistic, challenging scenario.

Civilian and military personnel from Malawi Defense Force, the U.S. and other partner nations gathered in Lilongwe, Malawi to participate in the U.S. Africa Command-sponsored Exercise Southern Accord 14, July 14-31.

For the first time ever, seven African countries to include Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Senegal, Sierra Leon and Zambia, gathered on the continent to share ideas and best practices during the Regional Gender Mainstreaming Seminar.

Through a U.S. Army Africa-led event, nearly 4,000 Chad, Guinea, and Malawi soldiers took part in border security training. USARAF's regionally aligned forces from 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division out of Fort Riley, Kan. conducted the training in March.