Ghana may be deemed a country without major crime and criminality issues. But in recent years some radical groups have been caught operating in the Sahel. The terrorist threat in Ghana has led the government to construct the Ministry of National Security and within this ministry a Counter Terrorism Intelligence Centre.
The project “Prevention of Electoral Violence and Enhancement of Security in Ghana”, understood by its acronym NORPREVSEC, will run for just over two years. The programme, supported by the European Union and implemented by FIIAPP, is designed to reinforce the Ghanaian Ministry of National Security in the commission of its newly developed National Security Strategy.
In the framework of this action, cooperation with other international cooperation mechanisms – such as the Accra Initiative, INTERPOL, WANEP and ICMPD – has been improved to foster regional coordination of joint actions. Sixty-five participants from the five northern regions of Ghana have been prepared by various local institutions such as the Ghanaian Police Service, Ghanaian Immigration Services, Ghanaian Custom Revenue, Ghanaian Prison Services, and Ghanaian Fire Services, among others local institutions.
The project has three complementary lines of action. The first is taken out by Ghana’s National Commission for Civic Education and concentrates on reducing the risk of political violence. The second is carried out by COGINTA, a Swiss NGO, building and strengthening structures and systems for early prevention. Finally, the third is carried out by FIIAPP, which has experts from the National Police, through the mounting of the capacities of the Ghanaian security forces in intelligence and precluding radicalisation and violent extremism. All three are coordinated from Spain by the FIIAPP.
The training started with an opening ceremony, which was preached first by the EU Ambassador to Ghana, Irchad Razaaly, who thanked the task partners for their involvement in advancing the prevention of terrorism and violent extremism in a country that remains steady in the West African region. The Minister of National Security of Ghana, Albert Kan Dapaah, also took the floor to greet the NORPREVSEC project and the EU for its approval for security in Ghana.
During the time the procedure has been underway, various activities have been carried out, such as the association of an event to strengthen coordination between Regional Security Councils and District Security Councils in the north of the country. A session was also held to boost coordination in terms of counter-terrorism intelligence between Ghanaian security forces and international security agencies, with the cooperation of Interpol, Europol and Frontex.
In addition, among other activities, an introductory approach to terrorism and the intelligence cycle was presented to 100 members of the security and emergency forces in the north of the country. With this activity, members of up to five corps have been equipped with basic knowledge of terrorism, its objectives and operating procedures, and have then been introduced to techniques of investigation and intelligence congregation in the face of a possible terrorist threat.
The course of violent extremism and terrorism in the West Africa and Sahel areas and the evolving security landscape make clear the necessity for Ghana to take proactive steps to improve coordination and cooperation among all stakeholders, including international partners. The key to achieving this outcome is to create the capacity of security forces in the five northern regions of the country to control and respond to situations through effective coordination, cooperation and information management.
