African Land Forces Summit - Cooperation and Interoperability at the Heart of Security

Rome, March 23, 2026 – The intervention of the Chief of Staff of the Army, General of the Army Corps Carmine Masiello, marked one of the most significant moments of the African Land Forces Summit 2026, taking place in Rome from March 22 to 24. In front of the leaders of the land forces of African, European, and United States countries, Masiello centered his message on three key concepts: cooperation, interoperability, and development of common capabilities. The summit, organized by the U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), brings together about 40 countries and over 300 military, institutional, academic, and defense industry representatives. In this context, the presence and intervention of the Italian Army Chief of Staff assumed a particular political and strategic value, especially since the 2026 edition marks the first time ALFS is held in Europe.

Masiello's Vision on Intelligence, Innovation, and Multilateral Response

The theme chosen for this edition – “Strengthening Shared Security through Intelligence, Innovation, and Industry” – offered Masiello the opportunity to outline a broad vision of contemporary challenges. In his speech, the general emphasized how the international scenario requires increasingly coordinated responses, capable of integrating operational, technological, and informational dimensions. According to Masiello, security can no longer be addressed with isolated tools or fragmented approaches: instead, stable synergies between allied and partner countries are needed, based on the sharing of capabilities and the construction of a truly resilient system. In this perspective, the Army Chief of Staff called for the consolidation of an effective security architecture, capable of supporting the stability of the broader Mediterranean and, at the same time, accompanying the growth of an Africa increasingly prominent in global security. His words placed the role of the Italian Army within a strategic horizon that closely links defense, innovation, and international cooperation.

The Partnership with Africa and the Italian Role

Another central point of Carmine Masiello's speech concerned the partnership with African countries. The general reiterated the importance of a “peer-to-peer” collaboration model, based on trust, mutual respect, and the ability to understand local needs to build shared solutions. This approach places great emphasis not only on assistance or technical support but above all on the creation of balanced and lasting relationships, capable of producing common stability. In this sense, Masiello's message gave a precise political imprint to the summit, valuing cooperation that is not imposed from above but built together with African partners. The Rome edition of the ALFS also confirms the growing importance of Italy as a platform for dialogue between Africa, Europe, and the United States, and the intervention of the Army Chief of Staff contributed to strengthening this centrality. From the summit emerges a clear line: African security is an integral part of Euro-Mediterranean security and the Italian contribution, in the vision expressed by Masiello, passes through interoperability, innovation, and shared development of capabilities.