Security agencies, vigilantes must engage: To ensure vigilante-free elections
A Senior Researcher at the Legon Centre for International Affairs and Diplomacy (LECIAD), Dr Philip Atuquayefio, has called for a proactive engagement between the security agencies and identifiable vigilante groups operating in the country.
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Such an engagement, he said, should lead to mutual understanding and the development of a code of conduct regarding the operations of the vigilante groups before, during and after the 2016 elections.
According to him, the intention of the police to disband all vigilante groups would not provide the all-needed response to the phenomenon of vigilantism.
Such a move, he said, would only deepen the scope of operations of such groups and provide the needed cover that they could use to absolve themselves of any blame.
Vigilante groups and peaceful Election 2016
Contributing to a roundtable discussion on: “Political party vigilante groups and peaceful Election 2016” organised by the Centre for Social Democracy (CSD), with support from the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES), in Accra last Tuesday, Dr Atuquayefio said there were identified vigilante groups that were directly linked to certain personalities.
Therefore, an engagement with the owners of such groups, he said, would provide an avenue for mutual understanding and agreed terms of behaviour that would not endanger the peace and stability of the country.
The advantage in such an arrangement, he said, was that in the event of any untoward move by any group, the owners of the groups could be easily contacted to address the issue.
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Dr Atuquayefio was of the view that vigilante groups provided services, contending, however, that it was the legality or otherwise of the services they provided that was the issue in contention.
History of vigilantism
He traced the history of vigilantism to the land industry and conflict areas, saying disputed lands were often characterised by the activities of vigilante groups which were often hired to scare off other contenders to the lands or other parties to a conflict.
He stressed that the conditions that had facilitated the rise of vigilante groups in the country had to be examined, noting that even though they had been operating in other areas of national life, their involvement in election-related matters tended to create fear and insecurity.
Dr Atuquayefio contended that the emergence of political vigilante groups was an express lack of faith and trust in the security agencies.
Perception/reality
He stressed that while that might be a perception rather than reality, the security agencies, especially the police, ought to be more proactive in dispelling that perception through active engagement and professional acts that were above reproach.
A Fellow at the CSD, Mr Samuel Seglah, said the discussion was necessitated by the need to dispassionately engage stakeholders on the issue to ensure that a road map was attained towards vigilante-free elections.
The Resident Director of the FES, Mr Fritz Kopsieker, said the foundation, which was predisposed to social democracy, had come to the realisation that Ghana ought to be guided by the election-related events that took place in Kenya in 2007/2008 and which led to the death of about 1,200 people and the widespread displacement of that country’s citizens.
Writer’s email: victor.kwawukume@graphic. com.gh