Report: 13 Ghanaians Join Terrorist Groups, 23 Dissuaded From Joining
The West Africa Centre For Counter-Extremism (WACCE) has reported that more than thirteen (13) Ghanaians have left the country to join terrorist groups since 2015 to fight.
Additionally, it reports that up to twenty-three (23) others have been dissuaded from leaving the country to join such groups.
This, the WACCE 2022 report on Ghana says, is due to unemployment in the country.
WACCE says this, together with other factors including Ghana’s proximity, ethnic and chieftaincy conflicts, land disputes, and grievances of marginalised groups (Fulbe), make Ghana viable for terrorism.
“Ghana has been so close to terrorism”, the report said.
It added that “Ghana has remained a stable country in the midst of increasing extremist violence and political instability in West Africa. But that narrative may no longer remain valid soon if adequate measures are not put in place to tackle the increasing threats from the Sahel.”
According to the report, Ghana’s proximity to countries such as Burkina Faso to the North, Benin, and Togo to the East, and Ivory Coast to the West which is experiencing terrorism, exposes the country to extremist recruitment or attacks, or both.
“The unending Bawku chieftaincy conflict, the ethnic tensions in Northern Ghana, and the unresolved challenge of Western Togoland separatists in the Eastern border regions amplify the risks.”
It said extremists have a huge exploitative capacity since Ghana has over 352 unresolved chieftaincy conflicts.
The report indicated that despite the numerous measures Ghana has put in place against extremist attacks which put the country on a good footing, the effectiveness of Ghana’s response will be determined by the State’s willingness to recognise that the battle against terrorism and the drivers that underpin it cannot be won on the battlefield alone.
“But the country’s official response to the threat is contained in a National Framework for Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism and Terrorism (NAFPCVET) carved out of a National Security Strategy document. NAFPCVE provides a comprehensive scope in dealing with the threat ranging from education and awareness creation to intelligence sharing under four pillars. This puts the country on a good footing to deal with the threat. What is perhaps required is speed.
“But the overall effectiveness of Ghana’s response will be determined by the State’s willingness to recognise that the battle against terrorism and the drivers that underpin it cannot be won on the battlefield alone. It will be won in the local community in dealing with the drivers of radicalization and building resilience against the threat. It will be won by effectively addressing grievances, mobilising local community support and goodwill to build the social and economic infrastructure that is required to build resilience against extremism.”
Source: opemsuo.com/Hajara Fuseini
