Citizens have been urged to support security agencies with timely information to help combat illicit arms proliferation, violent extremism and other cross-border crimes threatening peace and stability in the country.
The Upper East Regional Programmes Officer of the National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons, Victor Abo-Ame Akanbonga, was speaking at a five-day training workshop on preventing violent extremism (PVE), which was organised by the Catholic Relief Services in collaboration with the National Peace Council in Bolgatanga for 50 youth leaders drawn from various communities across the region.
It formed part of a Social Accountability (PoVETSA) project being funded by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and implemented in partnership with the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC).
Illicit arms proliferation
Mr Akanbonga said that political instability and conflicts in neighbouring sahel countries were contributing to the proliferation of illicit small arms in northern Ghana.
He said countries such as Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger continued to experience violent conflicts, creating opportunities for arms smuggling into Ghana.
“Let us preach peace and ensure a gun-violence-free region.
Never hide a person possessing illegal arms because it may not affect you today, but it could affect your relative tomorrow, and that is why there is the need for you to provide security agencies with timely information,” he said.
Porous borders
The Head of Operations and Intelligence at the Paga Sector Command of the Ghana Immigration Service, DSI Robert Ubindam, described Ghana’s porous borders as a major security challenge.
He said that the long stretch of land borders from the Upper West Region to the Upper East Region had numerous unapproved routes that could easily be exploited by criminal elements and groups of extremists.
“At any given point, somebody with ill motive can use these routes to enter Ghana and carry out activities that may be detrimental to the peace and security of the country,” Mr Ubindam added.
He also said that extremist groups operating in the sahel often targeted vulnerable youth for recruitment, making awareness creation and vigilance critical in preventing radicalisation.
Youth empowerment Significance
The PoVETSA Project Manager at CRS Ghana, Adelaide Yiriyelleh, said the training formed part of efforts to empower young people to become ambassadors of peace within their communities.
“Young people have the energy and influence to shape the future of their communities.
“When they are equipped with the right tools, they become a powerful force for peace, resilience and positive change,” she said.
Ms Yiriyelleh said that although Ghana remained peaceful, factors such as unemployment, inequality, exclusion, misinformation and unresolved community conflicts could create vulnerabilities that extremist groups might exploit.
The Head of Programming at the KAIPTC, Augustine Owusu, underscored the importance of prevention-led approaches in tackling violent extremism, and called on the youth to be vigilant at all times.
