Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for African Affairs Chidi Blyden participated in a panel discussion on strategic empowerment of the African continent in the field of security at the Dakar Peace and Security Forum in Dakar, Senegal Oct. 24.
The theme of the 2022 Dakar Forum is "Africa in the Face of Exogenous Shock: Challenges of Stability and Sovereignty."
Blyden discussed the multiple ways the DoD seeks to empower African countries by working from a "3D" Approach (Defense, Development and Diplomacy) to address the root causes of instability. She stressed the importance of looking at Africa holistically, developing African-centric solutions to security challenges, empowering solutions at the local and national levels, working with allies and partners to develop capability and building on defense tools that support whole of government approaches to security.
The Dakar Forum is the premier multilateral venue in Africa focused on defense and security and is widely attended by heads of states, ministers and other senior leaders in Africa and internationally. Blyden had the opportunity to preview the DoD’s National Defense Strategy priorities for Africa which emphasizes working with allies and partners, countering violent extremist organizations and addressing strategic competition across the continent.