Story: Warrant Officer Class 1 Amoah Noel King

Pictures: Corporal Osei Ansh

The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), Department of Religious Affairs and United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM), West Africa Religious Affairs Symposium (WARAS 2026) held at the Ghana Air Force Aviation College (GHAFAC) Auditorium ended on Thursday 16 July 2026.

Delivering the closing remarks, the Chief of Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces and Guest of Honour, Air Vice Marshal Joshua Mensah-Larkai, described military chaplains as a vital source of hope and strength for personnel serving under demanding operational conditions.

He commended delegates for their commitment to advancing military chaplaincy across West Africa and reaffirmed that beyond providing spiritual care, chaplains and Imams played critical role to helped sustained the morale, leadership and discipline in regional security cooperation.

Quoting General George Marshall, a United States Army General, the Air Vice Marshal underscored that the spiritual foundation of soldiers remains central to mission success, stressing that military chaplains provide essential guidance, counselling and support that strengthen the fighting force.

He observed that the symposium had brought together chaplains from across the sub-region, fostering trust, professional collaboration and the exchange of best practices needed to address emerging security challenges.

According to him, the exchanged of ideas and experiences had laid a stronger foundation for continued collaboration to address the evolving challenges confronting military chaplaincy in West Africa.

He urged participants to sustained the relationships and knowledge gained through the symposium to enhance the effectiveness of religious support within their respective Armed Forces.

The Guest of Honour expressed appreciation to USAFRICOM, the facilitators and partner organizations for their unwavering support in making the symposium a success.

He noted that their investment in developing military chaplaincy reflects a shared commitment to promote peace, professionalism and regional security cooperation.

The Chief of Staff encouraged them to return to their countries with renewed purpose, strengthened resolve and a shared commitment to foster peace, understanding and spiritual leadership to the men and women they serve across West Africa.

The USAFRICOM Army Sergeant Major, SGM Herinah Asaah expressed appreciation to the Ghana Embassy, participating countries and encouraged participants to network and embrace teamwork, noting that while individuals may achieve success quickly by working alone, greater and more lasting accomplishments are achieved if they worked together.

In his remarks, the Director General, Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), Department of Religious Affairs (DRA), Brigadier General Benjamin Godson Kumi-Woode noted that, investing in the continuous professional development of chaplains remains essential to building a force that is mission-ready and capable of meeting emerging security demands.

USAFRICOM chaplain, Colonel Kelvin Forrester, presented commemorative gifts to the Department of Religious Affairs and some participants.