Symposium on peace, stability underway in Accra

Security experts from Africa, academia, non-governmental organisations and institutions are brainstorming at a symposium in Accra on how best to support peace and stability on the continent. 

The four-day event, organised by the US-Africa Command, in collaboration with the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), opened yesterday.

Topics to be treated include civil/military relationship, human rights and security, health and human security and environmental resources and conflict. 

The Academic Co-ordinator of AFRICOM, Mr David Baker, said the symposium would enable the academic community to make an input on how best to support peace and stability in Africa.

He said perspectives on security vary, depending on one’s vantage point and interests, adding that Africom’s security goals for the continent had been criticised for being overly focused on the problems of developed nations, such as countering violent extremists, stopping piracy and finding weapons of mass destruction.

Mr Baker noted that while these were also important for African nations, majority of Africans had different security concerns, and named some common ones as poor health, vanishing livelihood, lack of basic community safety and respect for human rights.