Stakeholders call for stronger community-security collaboration to prevent extremism

Stakeholders have called for stronger collaboration between communities and security agencies to prevent violent extremism and safeguard Ghana’s peace.

The call was made on Wednesday, October 28, at a National Dialogue on Civil-Security Engagement in Accra, convened by Catholic Relief Services (CRS) in partnership with the National Security Council Secretariat and the National Peace Council, with funding from the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The dialogue brought together more than 60 participants from government, security agencies, civil society, traditional and religious institutions, and development partners.

CRS Ghana Country Representative, Dr. Abena Amedormey, stressed the need for a whole-of-society approach, noting that the organisation and its partners had engaged more than 1,000 stakeholders across Northern Ghana this year to strengthen community resilience.

National Security Coordinator, COP Osman Abdul-Razak, also emphasised collective action, while Netherlands Ambassador to Ghana, Hans Akerboom, highlighted the importance of inclusive governance, youth opportunities and community engagement.

Chairman of the National Peace Council, Most Rev. Emmanuel Kofi Fianu, called for innovative approaches to youth employment, warning that limited opportunities could increase young people’s vulnerability to extremist recruitment.

Participants are expected to use recommendations from the dialogue to strengthen community participation, early intervention, and locally led efforts to prevent violent extremism in Ghana.