The West Africa Network for Peacebuilding Ghana (WANEP-Ghana) has conducted training programmes for 240 security personnel and 448 civilian stakeholders in northern Ghana in response to the threats of the persistent and increasing activities of violent extremist organisations in the Sahel.
Although Ghana has not experienced any such activities since the militant groups emerged in West Africa some years ago, WANEP-Ghana saw the need to boost the skills of the stakeholders towards curtailing spread of violent extremism to the country south-ward (from Burkina Faso), from the north-eastern side (Cote D’Ivoire) and from the north-western flank (Togo).
“This is also part of a comprehensive response to ongoing and potential social conflicts usually characterised by sporadic violence,” said WANEP-Ghana in a statement issued to the press during the training programmes organised for security agencies at separate venues in north Ghana.
“Moreover, while social conflict is present, other social and security weaknesses have the potential to enable local emergence or attract spillover of violent extremist activities from Ghana’s northern neighbour, Burkina Faso, and threats from the northern borders with Togo and La Cote d’Ivoire,” it further stated.
The organisation implemented the capacity-building project in 24 border communities in 8 districts in 3 regions within the country’s northern sector over a period of 14 months.
Sponsors and participants
The project, dubbed “Enhancing Social Cohesion and Social Contract through Empowerment of Women and Youth in Three Northern Regions of Ghana”, was funded by the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
The civilian participants included traditional authorities, assembly members, unit committee members, women groups, beauticians, dressmakers, religious leaders, youth group leaders, persons with disabilities and minority group leaders.
The security agencies that took part in the training programmes were the Ghana Police Service, the Ghana Immigration Service, the Ghana Customs Service, the National Ambulance Service and National Investigations Bureau.
“The programme is very laudable. It’s very educative. I would encourage that it should be organised at least every two years to serve as a refresher course for our personnel. The content is apt,” the Zebilla District Police Commander, DSP Jackson Kportufe, told journalists at Zebilla, capital of the Bawku West District.
He added: “The topics are okay, particularly the topic related to human rights because as we deal with suspects our personnel need to be mindful of the rights of the individuals and things that are in conflict with the law.”
Topics covered
The topics treated at the workshops comprised: understanding social conflict, & conflict management mechanisms; security agencies in conflict resolution, peace enforcement, peacekeeping and peace-building; social dialogue, human rights-based approaches to conflict management and sustaining social cohesion.
The other topics covered were: case studies on human rights; human rights dimensions in the work of peacekeeping and peace enforcement; and specific roles of security agencies/personnel in understanding and sustaining social cohesion.
The participating communities included: Bunkprugu ,Nakpanduri,,Mambaga in the Bunkprugu-Nakpanduri District; Yonyoo and Jimbali in the Yunyoo-Nasuan District; Kugri, Danegu and Siisi in Garu District; Widnaba, Kopella,Sapeliga in Bawku West District.
The rest were: Bongo Soe, Feo, Namoo in Bongo District; Wujuga, Wunchiki, Gbalo in the Chereponi District; Duorimo, Kpella, Olli in the Wa West District; as well as Felmuo, Zini and Jeffisi in the Sissala West District. The regions included Upper East, Upper West and North East.
“It’s a successful programme,” one of the participating CEPS officials, RO Joseph Armoo-Kwaw, told newsmen in the Bawku West District.
“We have learnt a lot. It’s going to help us in our every-day activities. When we leave here, we will ensure that we organise training for our officers who couldn’t partake. There were certain things we didn’t know even as security persons but we now know.”
WANEP-Ghana to train stakeholders on illicit economies, others
The organisation disclosed plans to carry out more training programmes for security services and key community stakeholder on illicit economies, early warning intelligence for network of informants in border communities, and how to build peace, confidence and trust.
It also said it would organise multi-agency and multi-stakeholder public sensitisation through radio on security and civilian roles and joint efforts to promote peace and security in at-risk border communities, and hold a one-day platform meeting to enhance security-civilian relationships in target communities for purposes complementarity and information sharing to mitigate conflict and promote peace.
“The main objective of the project is to empower local governance institutions, actors, and customary governance structures to produce inclusive, responsive, and accountable governance, economic development, and quality service delivery, as a peace dividend in the northern regions.
“Women and the youth are critical and strategic actors in this project. Thus, it will enhance their resilience to enable them to participate fully and meaningfully for the attainment of local governance decision-making as well as promoting conflict prevention and peace-building processes,” WANEP-Ghana’s statement said.
The statement added: “Above all, the project will promote active citizenship through positive collaborations among state and non-state actors and security agencies in trans-border district as a means of facilitating conflict early warning and response scale and preparedness to prevent them from escalating into violence while contributing to building local resilient capacities for conflict management.”
Source: Media Without Borders/mwbonline.org/Ghana
