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African Military Games Fostering Unity & Cooperation, Organizing Committee Chairman Says

18:08, 27 November 2024

Alla Shukanova

Writer / Editor

Teams of military athletes from over 25 African countries, representing all regions of the continent, are taking part in the second edition of the African Military Games, with Nigeria, Algeria, Libya, South Africa and Tunisia leading the way, according to media reports.

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The African Military Games, held in Nigeria's capital Abuja on November 18-30, aims to strengthen inter-military cooperation and unity across the continent through sport, particularly in light of recent political instability and the withdrawal of some African nations from ECOWAS, Nigeria's Air Vice Marshal Abidemi Timothy Marquis told Sputnik Africa.

"It is better for us to strengthen our relationship so that together, through collaboration and cooperation with each other, we can defeat the enemies and adversaries of the continent," he said.

The key objectives of the games are to enhance existing cooperation, particularly in light of recent political instability and the withdrawal of some African nations from ECOWAS; expand participation to include more nations (like Ethiopia); increase Nigeria's and Africa's global visibility in sports; and stimulate Nigeria's economy, the speaker explained.

"We want to bring in more African nations to ensure that cooperation is broader," the air vice marshal emphasized.

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The games are also designed to improve military personnel's physical fitness, operational readiness, and familiarity with each other for improved collaborative deployments, he pointed out.

"Engagement in sporting activity is to ensure physical fitness and operational readiness when you need to deploy for a long period of time because without physical fitness a soldier may not be able to conduct an operation efficiently and effectively," Marquis said.

According to Marquis, the message of the event emphasizes the importance of maintaining friendship and collaboration among the participating nations, encouraging future development of athletic excellence.

"I want to thank them [the participating countries] for coming and also let us continue to project friendship through sport. No matter the situation, we should always project friendship through sport," he concluded.