African policymakers, security officials and researchers have turned their attention to the growing role of artificial intelligence and autonomous systems in defence, with a high level security discussion in Kigali examining how emerging technologies could alter the continent’s security environment while raising questions over accountability, sovereignty and human control.
The International Security Conference on Africa, ISCA, held its high level discussion in the Rwandan capital on Wednesday under the theme, “The Rise of Autonomous Systems: Implications for Defence and Security in Africa”. The gathering brought together policymakers, security leaders, researchers and development partners to consider the implications of autonomous aerial, maritime and ground systems for defence, border management and peace support operations.
The discussions come as African states increasingly confront a security environment in which technologies such as drones, artificial intelligence and autonomous systems are becoming more accessible to both governments and non state actors. The African Union has recognised the opportunities presented by artificial intelligence while also calling for governance frameworks that address safety, accountability, transparency and the protection of African interests.
The African Union’s Continental Artificial Intelligence Strategy adopted in 2024 provides a continental framework for developing AI capabilities while strengthening human capital, research, innovation and governance. In May 2025, African governments and other stakeholders meeting in Addis Ababa further called for stronger continental cooperation and an inclusive approach to AI governance that reflects Africa’s circumstances and priorities. (African Union)
Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Olivier J.P. Nduhungirehe, said Africa could not afford to remain on the margins of technological change affecting defence and security. He argued that the continent needed to understand the implications of autonomous technologies not only for security, but also for sovereignty and strategic autonomy.
Nduhungirehe also pointed to potential applications in addressing terrorism, armed insurgencies and organised crime. His position reflects a wider debate across Africa in which emerging technologies are increasingly viewed through both security and development lenses. The challenge for governments is to determine how such technologies can strengthen the protection of citizens without creating new vulnerabilities or weakening established standards of accountability. Rwanda’s foreign ministry continues to identify regional security, continental cooperation and Pan Africanism among its policy priorities. (Ministry of Foreign Affairs Rwanda)
Frank Mushyo Kamanzi, Executive Director of ISCA, said artificial intelligence and autonomous systems were already influencing the way states approached warfare, border security, peace support operations and national defence. He raised questions about the extent of human oversight and responsibility when autonomous technologies are involved in decisions concerning the use of force.
Those concerns are increasingly reflected in African policy discussions. In 2024, the African Union said more than 40 of its member states had supported calls for a legally binding international instrument governing autonomous weapons systems. The continental body has also emphasised the principle of meaningful human control, arguing that responsibility for decisions involving the use of force should remain with people rather than being transferred entirely to machines. (African Union)
The debate is particularly significant for countries dealing with insurgencies, terrorism, organised crime and difficult border environments. Drone technology, for example, can provide surveillance and intelligence capabilities without exposing personnel to the same level of risk. At the same time, the proliferation of commercially available drones and related technologies has created opportunities for armed groups and other non state actors to acquire capabilities that were previously largely confined to states.
For African governments, therefore, the question is not simply whether to adopt autonomous systems, but how to develop the institutional, technical and legal capacity required to use them responsibly. This includes questions about procurement, domestic research and development, data governance, cybersecurity, training, maintenance and the ability of African institutions to independently evaluate technologies developed elsewhere.
The African Union has increasingly stressed that technological policy should reflect the continent’s own circumstances rather than relying exclusively on frameworks developed elsewhere. Its 2025 high level policy dialogue on AI called for African countries to formulate national policies and regulations consistent with continental priorities and urged stronger African participation in international discussions on AI governance. (African Union)
That emphasis also reflects a broader shift in African security thinking towards greater technological and institutional autonomy. ISCA was established as a platform for African led dialogue on peace and security, with its inaugural conference in Kigali placing emphasis on African ownership, cooperation and home grown approaches to the continent’s security challenges. (Ministry of Defence Rwanda)
Mali’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Abdoulaye Diop, described autonomous systems as more than a technological or military question, arguing that their implications were also political and geostrategic. His intervention underlined the extent to which technological choices are becoming intertwined with national sovereignty, regional security and the balance of power between African states and external technology providers.
The discussion also highlights a fundamental distinction between technological capability and technological independence. Possessing sophisticated autonomous systems does not necessarily give a country control over the underlying technologies, data, software, supply chains or intellectual property on which those systems depend. For African states seeking greater strategic autonomy, developing domestic technical expertise and regional industrial capacity could therefore be as important as acquiring advanced equipment.
The issue is likely to become more prominent as African countries develop national AI strategies and strengthen digital infrastructure. Recent analysis by the OECD found that a growing number of African states have adopted national AI strategies, while many continue to face constraints involving connectivity, computing capacity, infrastructure and implementation.
For Africa, the emerging debate is consequently broader than the prospect of autonomous weapons. It encompasses the use of AI for intelligence analysis, surveillance, border management, logistics, disaster response and peace operations, alongside the risks associated with autonomous decision making and the proliferation of military technologies.
The Kigali discussion places these questions within an increasingly African led conversation about how the continent can engage with technological change without surrendering responsibility for the consequences. The central challenge will be to ensure that technological modernisation strengthens the security and dignity of African citizens while preserving human accountability over decisions that carry profound consequences.
