TLDR: Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Defence, Hon Soipan Tuya, inaugurated the 2025 Africa Regional workshop on the Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence in the Military Domain (REAIM) in Nairobi. The three-day event, co-hosted with the Netherlands, Korea, and Spain, and organized with UNIDIR, brought together 17 African nations to discuss ethical AI governance, capacity-building, and localizing global AI initiatives for peace and security.
The Cabinet Secretary for Defence, Hon Soipan Tuya, officially opened the 2025 Africa Regional workshop on the Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence in the Military Domain (REAIM) on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, at a Nairobi hotel. This significant three-day event, co-hosted by Kenya’s Ministry of Defence in collaboration with partners from the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Republic of Korea, and the Kingdom of Spain, convened delegates and military personnel from 17 African countries.
The workshop’s primary aim is to collectively discuss strategies for localizing global AI initiatives, fostering capacity-building within the continent, and enhancing Africa’s influence in shaping ethical AI governance. The event is organized in partnership with the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR), with a focus on boosting Africa’s engagement in responsible military Artificial Intelligence (AI) through shared insights, strengthened partnerships, and actionable policy recommendations.
Key objectives emerging from the consultations include consolidating best practices from previous discussions, advancing robust regulatory and ethical frameworks for AI application in African defence, reinforcing collaborations among governments and research organizations, and identifying Africa-specific priorities. These priorities are crucial to ensure that AI development and deployment actively support peace, security, and human rights across the continent.
In her opening remarks, Hon Soipan Tuya underscored the consultation’s importance as a significant stride towards the responsible integration of AI in Africa’s military domain. She emphasized the critical need for collaboration, the establishment of clear ethical frameworks, and the inclusion of diverse stakeholders in these discussions. Tuya highlighted that the participation of the host nations and 17 African countries serves as a clear demonstration of Africa’s unwavering commitment to ensuring that AI, recognized as one of the most transformative technologies of our era, is developed and applied in ways that uphold peace, security, and respect for human dignity. She also stressed the vital importance of involving youth in conversations about the responsible use of AI, recognizing their role at the forefront of technological advancement.
H.E. Henk Jan Bakker, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, further reinforced the global perspective, emphasizing the importance of responsible AI development and international collaboration. He noted that such cooperation is essential to mitigate potential risks associated with AI and to ensure that this technology ultimately serves humanity’s shared values. This sentiment aligns with ongoing regional consultations on responsible AI, including those recently held in the Republic of Korea.
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The participating African countries at the REAIM Summit included Burundi, Cameroon, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Morocco, Namibia, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.
