The three-days forum, which runs until May 29, brings together diplomats, military officials and strategic experts from Cameroon and abroad under the theme: “Economic Warfare: What Are the Strategic Challenges for Africa?” Representing the Minister Delegate at the Presidency in charge of Defence, Galax Etoga Yves Landry, Secretary of State to the Minister of Defence in charge of the National Gendarmerie, presided over the opening ceremony at the Amphitheater of ESIG.

‎ Opening the proceedings, Galax Etoga stressed that modern conflicts are increasingly fought through economic and financial means, making strategic intelligence and economic autonomy vital components of national security. Speaking earlier in his welcome address, the Commandant of ESIG, Brigadier General Nka Valère, said the colloquium seeks to equip senior officers with analytical tools to better understand and respond to emerging economic threats facing Africa.

‎The inaugural lecture was delivered by Henri Ngoa Tabi on the strategic implications of economic warfare for Africa. He underscored the growing use of economic instruments such as sanctions, trade restrictions and control of strategic resources as tools of global influence and power projection. The lecture also highlighted the need for African States to strengthen regional cooperation, industrial resilience and strategic planning in order to safeguard their economic sovereignty.

‎The 2026 edition features ESIG’s 21st batch, with 54 auditors from 23 countries, reinforcing the college’s mission to prepare senior officers for command and staff roles in joint and interministerial frameworks. Since 2005, ESIG has trained over 900 officers from 34 nationalities and continues to position itself as a centre of excellence for African-led security and strategic solutions under the motto, “Strategy at the Service of Peace.”