According to Ghana News Agency:ccording to Ghana News Agency, the NPC facilitated a dialogue in Wa to discuss effective ways of collaborating to safeguard the country from violent extremism. Representatives from the various security agencies and the civilian population in the region, including youth groups, traditional leaders, and the Fulbe and Birifoh communities, participated in the dialogue.
The initiative was part of the Prevention of Violent Extremism Through Social Accountability (PoVETSA) phase II project, implemented by the NPC in partnership with the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands. Speaking at the meeting, Mr Frank Wilson Bodza, the Deputy Director of Conflict Management and Resolution at the NPC, said the project recognized trust building between civilians and security agencies as key to promoting peace and preventing violent extremism in Ghana.
He said the dialogue sessions would be organized across the five regions in northern Ghana aimed at reducing violent conflicts in the north. "One key factor in the dialogue is the proximity of the northern part to the Sahelian States, which are experiencing violent extremist activities," he added.
Mr Bodza said those activities in the Sahel had posed a threat to West Africa coastal states, including Ghana, stressing the need for increased efforts to safeguard the country's security. He stated that the dialogues were, therefore, to "promote healthy relationships between civilians and security agencies as a strategic way of building trust and cooperation to enhance preventive actions against violent extremism."
Discussions at the dialogue centered on "Critical conflict situation in the Northern part of Ghana: How endemic, causes and effects" and "Building trust among security and civilians: Myths or reality? - The Challenges and mitigating strategies."
Reverend Fr. Thaddeus Kuusah, the Director of Governance, Justice and Peace at the Tamale Archdiocese, who made the presentations, observed that trust was a complex subject but achievable between civilian and security agencies through deliberate efforts. Professor Samuel Marfo, a Professor of Peace and Conflict Resolution at the SDD University of Business and Integrated Development Studies (SDD-UBIDS), emphasized the need for a "symbiotic" relationship between the security agencies and civilians in promoting peace in the country.
He noted that security agencies relied on civilian support to function effectively, just as civilians depended on security agencies for safety and the smooth conduct of their daily businesses. Mr Clifford Tampuori, the Executive Secretary of the Upper West Regional Peace Council, observed that though the region was relatively peaceful, issues such as land and chieftaincy conflicts had compromised the region's peace.
Other issues he mentioned included illegal mining and mining-related conflicts, influx of immigrants into border communities, farmer-herder conflicts, and high youth unemployment and substance abuse, among others. Some participants stressed the need for conscious efforts of stakeholders to properly integrate ex-convicts into society to prevent them from falling prey to recruitment by violent extremists.
