The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has urged Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Ghana to collaborate with the government to fight terrorism.
According to the UNDP, even though state security agencies have been at the forefront of the fight against violent extremism, the role of civil society in preventing violent extremism was very crucial.
It said CSOs’ knowledge of local drivers of extremism and their close interaction with community members could be leveraged to guide policies and actions at the local and national levels to keep communities safe.
At an engagement with CSOs on ways to complement the government’s interventions to keep Ghana safe from violent extremism and terrorism, the Peace & Governance Analyst of UNDP Ghana, Ms Melody Azinim, called for a more vital collaboration among CSOs to leverage their credibility and access within high-risk communities to counter extremist ideas.
Ms Azinim said CSO’s engagement with indigenes of various communities across the country had given them a good understanding of the complex vulnerabilities of those communities and would be aware of security situations that required urgent attention.
“Therefore, forging partnerships with civil society is critical in addressing these vulnerabilities and building resilient communities against violent extremism,” she said.
For his part, the Executive Director of Youth for Peace and Security Africa (YPSA), Abraham Korbla Klutsey, said that beyond recognising extremist groups’ threats, preventing violent extremism requires the collaboration and cooperation of all stakeholders at all levels.
Therefore, he reiterated the need for continuous engagement among key actors since it would be the defining factor in the fight for the peace and stability of Ghana.
The Programme Manager, Foundation for Security and Development in Africa (FOSDA), Mrs Theodora Anti, said engagement between CSOs and relevant state institutions would help strengthen collaborations for violent extremism prevention.
According to the 2020 Global Terrorism Index (GTI), 63 countries recorded at least one death from terrorists attack in 2019.
In the West African sub-region, various terrorist organisations have expanded their recruitment schemes, radicalising people to engage in domestic acts of terrorism in Mali, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, among others.
Ishmael Batoma, ISD
