Nation loses position as most peaceful country in W/Africa

The nation has lost its position as the Most Peaceful Country in West Africa to Sierra Leone in the latest Global Peace Index released last week.

The country also slipped to the fourth position, from its second place as the Most Peaceful in Africa in the 2022 index.

The GPI covers 163 countries which make up 99.7 per cent of the world’s population.

They used 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators from highly respected sources and across three domains: the level of societal safety and security; the extent of ongoing domestic and international conflict, and the degree of militarisation to arrive at their decision.

The Chairman of the Governing Board of the National Peace Council, (NPC) Rev. Dr Ernest Adu-Gyamfi, who disclosed this, attributed the decline to threats such as armed robbery, attack on journalists, political violence, land guard menace and perceptions which he said contributed the ratings and compilation of results.

He was speaking at a two-day national dialogue on improving civilian-security agency relations for the prevention of violent extremism in the country at Prampram in the Greater Accra Region yesterday.

The event formed part of a project named “Prevention of violent extremism through social accountability (PoVETSA)”.

Participants included personnel of the Ghana Police Service and representatives from various political parties.

It was organised by the NPC and the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and funded by the Netherlands Embassy.

Building trust

Rev. Ernest Adu-Gyamfi stressed the need to enhance trust and confidence between the security and the civilian population to prevent extremism and improve understanding and tolerance in the country, especially in activities leading to the 2024 general election.

He said the NPC, since 2020, had contributed to the prevention of insurgent activities by undertaking programmes to build resilience against terrorism and violent extremism.

The chairman said that the council engaged more than 100 student leaders across the country, trained more than 400 youths in all the regions and also reached out to more than 200 fisherfolk, as well as commercial drivers on ways to prevent the insurgents from getting a foothold in the country.

“It is worth noting that protracted chieftaincy conflicts give us reasons to worry, because the insurgents are always lurking around to use vulnerable communities for their nefarious activities.

“Other unresolved conflicts, including intra and inter-party elections at all levels, must be holistically dealt with so that they do not serve as motivation for violence and provide impetus for aggrieved individuals to use unlawful means to seek revenge,” he added.

Concerns

The Country Representative of CRS, Daniel Mumuni, said there had been instances where trust between political parties and security agencies in the country had strained, leading to a sense of apprehension within the society.

He said such situations endangered democratic processes and undermined national development, adding that establishing a vibrant peace-building infrastructure strengthens partnerships and also promotes inclusive and participatory governance.

The Tema Regional Police Commander, Commissioner of Police, Daniel Kwame Afriyie, said his outfit had embarked on a transformation agenda to position itself to become a world-class institution.

He said that was being done through engaging various stakeholders in communities to ensure law and order prevailed.

Writer’s email: Benjamin.glover@graphic.com.gh