In many respects, the 2026 African Land Forces Summit in Rome looked like any other US-led military conclave. The event was packed with men in uniform, chests plastered with medals and badges, shoulders weighed down by golden braids and epaulets. In a luxury hotel perched on a hill above the Vatican, the African representatives met with US and NATO counterparts for sessions on counterterrorism, training and coordination, and more than a few informal chats in the corridors.
But just outside the conference hall, the atmosphere at the March 22-24 conference had a different tone, reflecting the changing priorities of the ...