Vice-Prime Minister and Minister of Defence mark the opening of the academic year at the Joint Military Academy
On October 29th, 2026, in Liurai village (suco), Aileu Municipality, the Vice-Prime Minister and Minister Coordinator for Social Affairs, Mariano Assanami Sabino, presided over the solemn opening ceremony for the 2026–2027 academic year of the Joint Military Academy, organised by the Ministry of Defence. The ceremony featured the inaugural lecture by the Minister of Defence, Donaciano do Rosário da Costa Gomes, marking the start of the institution’s first preparatory course to train the inaugural generation of officer cadets for the FALINTIL–Defence Forces of Timor-Leste (F-FDTL).
The Joint Military Academy was inaugurated on February 2nd, 2026, as part of the commemorations marking the 25th anniversary of FALINTIL’s transformation into the F-FDTL. The institution was established to provide academic and military instruction to future Armed Forces officers within an educational framework that integrates technical knowledge, leadership skills, and institutional values.
The opening of the academic year marks a new milestone in the implementation of this project, following facility preparations, the selection of the first 60 officer cadets, the design of a four-year curriculum, and preparations for academic accreditation.
In his address, Mariano Assanami Sabino emphasised the Academy’s responsibility for preparing future generations of military officers with technical expertise, leadership capacity, and respect for constitutional and democratic values.
“We need officers prepared to face present and future challenges, with the capacity to serve, lead, and set an example—placing knowledge, skills, and values at the service of the F-FDTL. Today, we bear the responsibility to preserve freedom, strengthen institutions, and prepare new generations for the future. It is within this framework that the Joint Military Academy arises,” stated the Vice-Prime Minister.
The Vice-Prime Minister commended the Ministry of Defence, the F-FDTL General Staff, and the National Defence Institute (IDN – acronym in Portuguese) for establishing the Academy, acknowledging Lieutenant General Falur Rate Laek’s contribution to bringing the project to fruition.
He further emphasised the need to secure qualified academic staff, implement rigorous study programmes, evaluate training outcomes, and maintain ongoing institutional support for the Academy.
“Our objective must be to consolidate a benchmark academy, renowned for educational quality and for the competencies of the officers who will shape future generations of the F-FDTL,” he declared.
Addressing the officer cadets, Mariano Assanami Sabino emphasised the responsibility they bear as the institution’s first cohort, urging them to cultivate values of discipline, honesty, respect, teamwork, and duty.
The ceremony included the inaugural lecture, entitled “Being an Officer: Serving, Leading, and Setting an Example”, delivered by the Minister of Defence, Donaciano do Rosário da Costa Gomes.
In his lecture, the Minister of Defence addressed the principles of military doctrine, ethics, and discipline, as well as the responsibilities of officers towards the State and the population. He stressed that the Academy must ensure not only the transmission of technical and military expertise but also the formation of character, integrity, and command capability among future F-FDTL officers.
The Minister urged cadets, lecturers, and instructors to align training with the values and principles of the military institution, aiming to prepare officers capable of assuming leadership roles and contributing to the defence of Timor-Leste’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The programme included a tour of the Academy’s facilities and a meeting with the cadets, allowing attendees to inspect teaching and training conditions.
The ceremony was attended by the Deputy Chief of the F-FDTL General Staff, Major General Calisto dos Santos; the Commander of the Joint Military Academy, Commander (Naval) Duarte Borges Loe; the Acting Director of the National Defence Institute, Nuno Corvelo Sarmento; the Ombudsman for Human Rights and Justice, Virgílio da Silva Guterres; and the Second Commander-General of the National Police of Timor-Leste (PNTL), Assistant Commissioner Natércia Eufrázia Soares Martins. Also present were Members of the National Parliament, Government members, municipal authorities, members of the diplomatic corps, F-FDTL and PNTL officers, academic staff, instructors, and families of the officer cadets.
The Joint Military Academy is part of human resources development initiatives in the defence sector, dedicated to training officers for the permanent cadres of the F-FDTL in line with the institution’s professional requirements.
