ACCRA, Ghana – Military chaplains and religious affairs personnel from the National Guard and 10 African nations gathered July 14 for the launch of the West African Religious Affairs Symposium, or WARAS, a three-day event aimed at strengthening alliances across the region.
Co-hosted by U.S. Africa Command, or AFRICOM, and the Ghanaian Defense Force, the symposium focuses on the spiritual readiness and emotional well-being of service members and helps build a unified, resilient military coalition capable of addressing shared security challenges.
Participating nations include Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Togo. The event also features U.S. military personnel representing the Department of War National Guard Bureau State Partnership Programs in California, the District of Columbia, Michigan, North Dakota, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
“Spiritual resilience is a foundational pillar of overall force readiness,” said Col. Kevin Forrester, command chaplain at AFRICOM. “By coming together with our West African partners, we are exchanging critical strategies to support our service members through the unique challenges of military operations. Whether it is addressing moral injury, addressing the complexities of theodicy, building mutual religious support capacity or fostering strong leadership, these enduring partnerships build trust and create a more capable, unified force.”
Throughout the symposium, subject-matter experts selected from partner-nation chaplaincies will lead strategic exchanges. Topics will include post-traumatic stress disorder, moral injury, ethics, enlisted leader development, ministry in combat and family care.
Through events such as WARAS, AFRICOM remains committed to strengthening ties with its African partners. By empowering military chaplains to foster ethical leadership and spiritual resilience, the U.S. and its allies are building a unified front capable of countering shared threats and maintaining regional stability across the continent.