Dialogue to improve security agencies, community relations held in Paga
The Catholic Relief Services (CRS) has organised a day’s dialogue between personnel of various security agencies and community members at Paga in the Kassena Nankana West District in the Upper East Region.
The move, according to the organisation, is intended to build trust and ensure peaceful co-existence to help deal with the threat of violent extremism in the area.
With the growing threat of violent extremism and terrorism in northern Ghana emanating from the Sahel region, the engagement formed part of the Prevention of Violent Extremism (VE) through Social Accountability (PoVETSA) II project.
It is being implemented by CRS in partnership with the National Peace Council (NPC) and the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) with funding from the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
As part of the 36-month project, the implementing partners will provide training and advocacy to prevent violent extremism, promote mutual trust and understanding, good governance and a peaceful and socially cohesive society.
Essence
Addressing the dialogue, the Project Manager of Prevention of Violent Extremism, CRS, Adelaide Yireyelleh, said the rationale behind the forum was to improve relations among the security agencies and the community members.
She said that to tackle the threat of violent extremism in the area, which shares a border with Burkina Faso, it was important to improve relations between the security agencies and community members so that they could work to tackle the emerging threat of violent extremism.
She stressed, “There is no doubt that improved relationship and trust among the security agencies and the people is key towards preventing violent extremism as well as protecting the peace and security in the country.”
She mentioned that several activities were being carried out, including training for the mediation committee on conflict prevention and resolution and engagement in fun games to achieve the objectives of the project.
She stressed that “all these activities are being carried out ostensibly to foster peaceful co-existence in the community and to enable the people to freely divulge information on the suspected threat of violent extremism in the area”.
She expressed the hope that everything that had been shared and learnt during the dialogue would be disseminated across the district to safeguard the security of the district and the nation at large.
Community resilience
A Programmes Manager, of Upper East Regional Peace Council, David Angaamba, underscored the importance of building trust relations between the security agencies and the community members, as it was key towards building community resilience against violent extremism.
He added that the project would help build the capacity of stakeholders towards dealing with internal violence as they were drivers for violent extremism, adding “Violent extremists are always on the lookout for internal conflicts to capitalise on to carry out their activities.”
While welcoming the NPC’s partnership with CRS and KAIPTC in the implementation of the project, he indicated that key stakeholders would be exposed to their respective roles towards preventing violent extremism in the country.
The Navrongo Municipal Commander, Ghana Immigration Service, Deputy Superintendent of Immigration, Jerry K. Attipoe, called for cooperation and understanding from the public, for the service to carry out its mandate as required.
Writer’s email: gilbert.agbey@graphic.com.gh