By Ashiadey Dotse
Executive Director of the Africa Centre for Security and Counterterrorism (ACSC), Emmanuel Kotin, has urged the government to address the root causes of violent extremism rather than relying mainly on military interventions.
Speaking on GTV’s Current Agenda on Saturday, September 5, 2026, Mr Kotin said poverty, ethnic marginalisation and economic exclusion in communities along Ghana’s northern frontier could create conditions that extremist groups might exploit for recruitment.
He said Ghana’s response to violent extremism had often focused on militarised solutions without paying sufficient attention to the social and economic challenges facing vulnerable communities.
“We have to look at the root causes because solutions that address the root causes are better than relying solely on military forces,” he said.
Mr Kotin said extremist groups could exploit poor living conditions by convincing residents that the government had failed to provide basic services, including roads, electricity and economic opportunities.
According to him, such narratives could influence frustrated young people who feel excluded from the country’s economic development.
He cited the situation in Bawku, where, he said, commercial activities that previously supported the local economy had gradually shifted to Bolgatanga and, in some cases, across the border because of insecurity.
Mr Kotin also raised concerns about the reported arrest of more than 300 people in connection with alleged extremist recruitment attempts between 2023 and 2025, as well as 47 reported cross-border incursions recorded during the same period.
He said the figures alone were insufficient to determine whether Ghana’s security strategy was effective.
“If these figures are coupled without any prosecution, it means that government is giving us the input, but it is not telling us the outcome,” he said.
Mr Kotin argued that information on arrests, prosecutions and convictions should be made available, where appropriate, to enable the public and policymakers to assess the level of the threat and the effectiveness of security measures.
He also called for stronger intelligence gathering and information-sharing between Ghana and neighbouring countries, particularly those within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Sahel region.
He said security agencies must be adequately resourced to protect Ghana’s borders while the government addresses the economic and social challenges that could make communities vulnerable to extremist recruitment.
Mr Kotin stressed that tackling violent extremism should therefore combine effective security measures with long-term efforts to reduce poverty, unemployment, marginalisation and economic exclusion.
His comments follow a disclosure by the Majority Leader in Parliament, James Agalga, that more than 300 people were arrested between 2023 and 2025 over alleged extremist recruitment attempts along Ghana’s northern border.
Mr Agalga said the arrests formed part of efforts by the Ghana Armed Forces and other security agencies to prevent extremist groups operating in the sub-region from recruiting people in Ghana.
He also disclosed that security agencies recorded 47 cross-border incursions during the same period, highlighting the security threats facing Ghana despite its relative peace and stability.
More Stories Here
