The Chief Director of the Ministry of the Interior, Mrs. Adelaide Anno-Kumi, has called on stakeholders in the security sector to collaborate and share ideas to prevent violent extremism, maintain peace and security in the country.
‘We are not in doubt that Ghana is considered the most peaceful place in the sub-region, but this position is unsustainable if the region continues to remain a threat of extremist violence”, the Chief Director said.
Mrs. Anno-Kumi made the call during the official launch of the Prevention of Violent Extremism Through Social Accountability (POVETSA) project organized by the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) at the Alisa Hotel in Accra.
Catholic Relief Services is a non-governmental organization aimed at translating an alternative learning process into a trust-building mechanism for peace building institutions in the country.
The Chief Director commended CRS for the initiative and said the increasing activities of violent extremists in West Africa, especially in new areas that previously were peaceful, are an indication that Ghana is not immune to attacks and therefore there is the need to take adequate measures to prevent any such situation.
According to her, combating violent extremism is not just a security objective, but the pursuit of a national development agenda, the absence of which endangers the democratic process and undermines national development.
She added that considering the complexities of operations of the extremists, a holistic and a ‘whole- of-society approach’ is required in order to deepen local collaborations, intelligence sharing and the strengthening of partnerships across all sectors, especially between the security actors and civil society as well as increasing the effort to foster dignified livelihood opportunities for the youth.
Mrs. Adelaide Anno-Kumi stated that the POVETSA project will complement the government and the Ministry of the Interior’s efforts in preventing violent extremism in Ghana since it is intended to build community resilience against extremism by enhancing local community knowledge and capacities to address vulnerabilities.
She was hopeful that POVETSA project will help shape Ghana’s future and enhance the fight to Prevent and Counter Violent Extremism in the country.