The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Vice Marshal Frederick Asare Kwasi Bekoe was among the dignitaries who attended the 2nd edition of the International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEC) held at the Burma Hall, Burma Camp from Wednesday 28 to Thursday 29 August 2024.

This year’s IDEC which is under the theme “Enhancing Regional Mechanisms for Addressing Contemporary Security Challenges in Africa” featured Africa’s Chief of Army, Senior Officers, Security Agencies, Global Partners and Advanced Solution Providers.

In his keynote address, the Guest of Honour, the President of the Republic of Ghana and Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, emphasised the importance of a collective and coordinated regional approach to addressing security challenges.

He warned that these threats pose significant risks to the sovereignty, development and well-being of African nations. President Akufo-Addo highlighted the significance of the ‘Accra Initiative,’ a cooperative security framework established by West African countries and described it as a proactive and preventive measure designed to combat terrorism and transnational organized crime in the West African region.

“By focusing on intelligence sharing, joint security operations, and capacity building, the Accra Initiative aims at preventing the spillover of terrorist activities from the Sahel region into coastal West Africa,” he stated.

The Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS), Lt Gen Thomas Oppong-Peprah mentioned that IDEC 2024 is designed to create a unique opportunity for exhibitors to showcase the latest military technologies in the quest to tackle contemporary security go ceremony across the African continent.

The CDS commended the Organizing Committee and Strategic Partners for their visionary leadership in organizing IDEC 2024 which has proved to create a platform to facilitate networking and strategic relationships.

Over the two-day period, the conference sessions were held for participants to deliberate on effective counterinsurgency, issues on Violent Extremism and Terrorism as well as providing a platform for an exhibition tour and networking.