Centre for security, counter-terrorism inaugurated in Accra
The first African Centre for Security and Counter-Terrorism (ACSC) has been inaugurated at the Political Science Department of the University of Ghana, Legon, Accra.
The centre aims at raising awareness of the threats posed by terrorists and other militant groups to the development of the continent. It will also strengthen the capacity of security agencies in the prevention and fight against terrorism in Africa.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Justice Robin Batu, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of ACSC, said the centre, a non-governmental organisation, would focus more attention on the training of the youth, particularly those in educational institutions, indicating that recent reports of students joining major terrorist organisations was a wake up call to all.
He pointed out that the youth were exposed to all sorts of radical ideas by peers, clerics on the internet, for which reason the ACSC was to also serve as a platform for the open and frank discussions of such ideas.
Justice Batu said security was a condition of not being threatened, especially physically, emotionally, psychologically or financially, while terrorism, on the other hand was a deliberate commission of violence, especially against civilians, to create fear and panic for the purpose of achieving political or social objectives.
Counter terrorism
He said to counter terrorism or at least minimise its impact on the populace, there was the need to educate the public on the objectives, philosophy and method of radicalising the actual perpetrators of terror.
“Acts of terror were not committed only by groups as there is an emerging trend of ‘with or been trained Lone Wolf’ terrorists who may never have physically interacted with or been trained by a terrorist group”. he said.
He said in West Africa and sub-saharan Africa as a whole, the threat of terrorism appeared to be real with the several news reports of activities of Boko Haram in Nigeria and Alshabaab in Somalia and Kenya.
Terrorism in Nigeria
For his part, the Deputy Defence Attache at the Nigerian High Commission, Lt Col Adeleye Lawal, said it was clear that terrorism was no longer peculiar to Western countries alone as its tentacles were spreading fast like wild fire ready to consume any object close to it.
He said the issue of terrorism in Nigeria had been a major challenge since the beginning of 2009, a development that had never been witnessed throughout its years of statehood except for the religious skirmishes which were crushed from infancy.
He said Nigeria was currently faced with internal security challenges posed by Boko Haram whose main objective was to establish Islamic rule in Northern Nigeria through the imposition of Sharia law.
Mr Daniel Fennell, the US Embassy Counsellor for Public Affairs, called on governments to address the grievances that terrorists exploited to cause violence and instability, and this included economic grievances where young people felt trapped in impoverished communities. A 12-member board of trustees of the ACSC was also inaugurated.
