The Justice and Home Affairs advisor at the British High Commission, Kim Bridger, has underscored the need for government and security agencies to ensure that terrorist groups do not explore vulnerabilities to create footholds or organiSed crime networks and cause any instability within communities.
According to her, the UK has a strong interest in supporting Ghana to maintain its reputation as a beacon of stability and a peacekeeper in the wider sub-region. The UK, she indicated, is funding a range of activities to support Ghana’s security programme to prevent spillover from the Sahel.
“The heightened threat of terrorism in neighbouring countries in Africa indicate an urgent need for Ghana to build its capacity to prevent, preempt, protect and respond to any such attacks – as specified in Ghana’s framework for countering violent extremism,” she said.
Ms. Bridger announced this at a regional stakeholder dialogue on conflict, security and stability in Northern Ghana, held at Tamale, the Northern Region capital.
The forum was organised by Star Ghana Foundation in partnership with Northern Development Authority (NDA), National Peace Council (NPC) and the Northern Development Forum (NDF), with funding support from the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office of the UK government.
The forum convened stakeholders for dialogues and discussions around the underlying causes of conflicts, instability and underdevelopment in Northern Ghana, with the aim of producing a long-term framework for action and to support a more joined-up long-term approach.
Chief Executive Officer for NDA, Dr. Alhassan Sulemana Anamzoya, underscored the need for all to appreciate the value of peace and security in socioeconomic development. “We cannot enjoy social amenities if there is no peace and stability in Northern Ghana; and therefore the need for peace and security in order to achieve development and sustainability in Northern Ghana,” he said.
Major Albert Don-Chebe (Rtd), Chairman-NDF, said the issues of conflict and security in Northern Ghana cannot be wished away and neither can they be ignored – noting that these twin issues have blighted the lives of many people, and facilitated death and destruction in many communities.
He added that his organisation is committed to partnerships in addressing the challenges of conflict and security in northern Ghana, as well as all schemes put together to support and sustain existing programmes and projects which have brought peace and development.
Executive Director of Star Ghana Foundation, Amidu Ibrahim-Tanko, said the regional dialogue on conflict, security and stability is part of the process toward developing mechanisms and strategies for sustainable and inclusive development of Northern Ghana.
He underscored that a lot has been done and is being done by governments, development partners, civil society organisations and communities to achieve peace, stability and the development of their societies; adding that most of these efforts have either been implemented in silos, have not sufficiently engaged in communities and social groups affected, have sometimes addressed only the symptoms and have sometimes not sufficiently recognised the imperatives for government-citizen collaboration and coordination.
“We either implement these initiatives as government actions or projects, or as civil society projects; but rarely as collaborations between government and civil society and communities. So, this project seeks to help address some of these shortcomings and help connect the gaps between social groups, communities and governments, as well the civil society and projects.”
