Military chaplains and religious affairs personnel from Nigeria and nine other African countries gathered in Accra, Ghana, last week for the first West Africa Religious Affairs Symposium (WARAS), US Chaplain Kevin Forrester, who is the Command Chaplain at US Africa Command, confirmed last week. This regional meeting placed chaplaincy alongside military readiness, ethics and resilience.
The three-day symposium, known as WARAS, was co-hosted by US Africa Command and the Ghanaian Armed Forces from 14 to 16 July. Participants came from the national security forces of Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Togo.
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The meeting brought together Christian chaplains and Muslim religious affairs personnel from across the region to discuss how military religious leaders support troops facing stress, trauma, moral injury and the pressures of operations in volatile security environments. Organisers said the symposium was intended to deepen regional partnerships and broaden cooperation among partner militaries.
For Nigeria, the symposium came against the backdrop of continuing military operations against Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province, bandit groups, kidnapping networks and other threats that have strained the armed forces and complicated the work of commanders. In such an environment, chaplains and military imams are used not only for worship services but also for counselling, morale support, interfaith coordination and help in preserving cohesion in mixed-faith units.
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Mr Forrester, a colonel, who was joined by Herinah Asaah, said the symposium also highlighted religious freedom within the military and the need for understanding the religious dimensions of service in West Africa’s armed forces. AFRICOM public affairs office said, “By focusing on the spiritual readiness and emotional well-being of service members, the symposium helps build a unified, resilient military coalition capable of addressing shared security challenges.”
Ms Asaah, a sergeant major, said, “There are so many things that we can each gain from this symposium, and we already heard yesterday by the sharing and the discussions that happened that there was so much to learn from each other, and some of the nations eagerly taking down notes and exchanging, networking, and talking even in depth about some of the best practices from the other nations.”
The symposium was designed to bring religious leaders together and broaden cooperation, with religion used as a unifying force rather than a source of division. That approach reflects a growing recognition among West African militaries that chaplaincy is part of force support, discipline and operational resilience, not merely a ceremonial role. “Topics include post-traumatic stress disorder, moral injury, ethics, enlisted leader development, ministry in combat, and family care,” said the US Africa Command.
The symposium also reflected broader security cooperation between Nigeria and its neighbours at a time when cross-border threats have continued to spread across the region. For West African militaries, the gathering offered a platform to share experience and build ties around an area of service that is increasingly seen as relevant to both national security and regional stability. In a region where insecurity often tests the bonds between faith, force, and nationhood, that quiet work of military chaplains may prove to be one of the military’s most important lines of defence.
Pearl Matibe is a Washington, DC-based geopolitical analyst and correspondent with expertise in foreign policy and international security, regularly covering the Pentagon and White House. Follow her on Twitter: @PearlMatibe.
