Latest update February 6th, 2026 12:35 AM
‘GDF must move beyond the battlefield’ – Pres. Ali
…announces expanded role for military
(Kaieteur News) – President Irfaan Ali on Thursday signalled a decisive shift in Guyana’s defence posture, charging the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) to take on broader national responsibilities beyond traditional military roles, as security, development and sustainability increasingly intersect.
Addressing senior officers at the Annual Officers Conference at Camp Ayanganna, the Commander-in-Chief said defence can no longer operate in isolation, arguing that the GDF must actively support national priorities tied to economic growth, environmental protection and technological resilience. The force, he stressed, must remain “flexible, nimble and relevant” in an evolving security landscape.
President Ali speaking at the Annual Officers Conference on Thursday.
The conference is being held under the theme “Transforming the Force to Better Confront the Nation’s Present and Future challenges by enhancing its Awareness, Adaptability and Agility capabilities.” President Ali outlined a framework built on partnership, priority, position and policy, urging closer integration between defence planning and national assets. He questioned whether current deployments, including that of the Coast Guard, remain fit for purpose in a modern era. “Where do we want our people to position? Is our Coast Guard appropriately positioned or headquartered in this modern era of defence and what is needed in the future? These are the questions we must confront now and adapt to what is necessary in a new environment,” he stressed.
He said at the core of this modern force are its people. President Ali warned that training must anticipate the future challenges rather than reacting to past ones, asking, “what are we training for? Today or tomorrow?”
He noted that defence personnel must prepare for shifts in migration and culture, stating that training within the GDF must not be limited to military priorities alone. To support this, he called for a clear gap analysis covering the next 15 to 20 years to ensure that people, capability and capacity are properly aligned. The commander-in-chief went on to outline a significant expansion of traditional defence domains to include the economy, ecology and environment.
He raised concerns about the protection of telecommunications and technological infrastructure, including undersea cables, describing them as central to Guyana’s economic well-being. At the same time, he highlighted Guyana’s leadership on environmental issues, referencing the country’s role in advancing the Global Biodiversity Alliance.
Only recently, the United Kingdom (UK), Belize and Panama signed onto the GBA, which was launched in Georgetown by the president last year. “This tells you that our defence architecture goes beyond the tradition,” the President said, stating that, “We must now demonstrate in keeping with this national and international priority what our defence system will look like in relation to our ecology, our biodiversity, our environment because we are positioning this country and this economy in that sphere.“
The President also announced a strategic shift toward technology-driven defence, including artificial intelligence and enhanced intelligence capabilities. He disclosed that defence structures would be adjusted to reflect new priorities involving AI, technology and modern defence assets, describing this area as “the most important branch of the future.” “We have to develop our in-house AI and train our in-house AI with the right data, with the right information to be the right tool for our defence system. We can’t tiptoe around this issue,” the president stressed.
He also emphasised the importance of domain awareness in protecting critical national assets, referencing recent acts of terrorism as evidence of evolving threats. President Ali told officers that responsibility, reliability and readiness must define the GDF, particularly in building trust with international partners. “Our partners must know we are reliable in the defence of democracy, the rule of law, sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he emphasised. He reminded officers that decisions made at the conference would affect every level of the Defence Force, placing a heavy responsibility on leadership.
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