LUSAKA, Zambia
Air force commanders from 40 African countries have gathered in the Zambian capital, Lusaka, to discuss collaboration on humanitarian aid and disaster relief.
Addressing the 14th Annual African Air Chiefs (AAAC) symposium 2025 of the Association of African Air Forces (AAAF), Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema said disaster risks transcend borders and ideologies, hence the need for member states to deploy the relevant tools collaboratively to reach those in need regardless of location.
“Zambia has not been spared by the harsh realities of climate change; we faced droughts that have left the fields barren and floods that have displaced communities. These experiences resonate with countless nations across our continent. They underscore the urgent need for collaboration among our countries and air forces in particular,” Hichilema said in a speech read on his behalf by the country’s acting Defence Minister Douglas Syakalima.
The country’s Air Force commander, Oscar Nyoni, said the weeklong symposium was running under the theme “Strategic Collaboration and Operational Excellence: Enhancing the Effectiveness of Association Air Forces.”
The US Air Forces in Europe commander, James Hecker, said Washington would use the forum to share its experience on how military air expertise helped in combating natural disasters such as wildfires.
