Ghana has lost its status as the most peaceful country in West Africa, according to the latest Global Peace Index (GPI) released last week.
The country also dropped from the second to the fourth position in Africa, behind Mauritius, Botswana and Sierra Leone.
The GPI ranks 163 countries, covering 99.7 per cent of the world’s population, based on 23 indicators from reputable sources. These indicators measure the level of safety and security in society, the extent of domestic and international conflict, and the degree of militarisation.
The Chairman of the Governing Board of the National Peace Council (NPC), Rev. Dr Ernest Adu-Gyamfi, disclosed this at a two-day national dialogue on improving civilian-security agency relations for the prevention of violent extremism in Ghana.
He said that factors such as armed robbery, attacks on journalists, political violence, land guard menace and public perceptions contributed to the decline in Ghana’s peace score.
He was speaking at the event held at Prampram in the Greater Accra Region yesterday, which brought together personnel of the Ghana Police Service and representatives from various political parties.
The event was organised by the NPC and the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and funded by the Netherlands Embassy. It was part of a project named “Prevention of violent extremism through social accountability (PoVETSA)”.
Enhancing trust
Rev. Dr Adu-Gyamfi stressed the need to enhance trust and confidence between the security agencies and the civilian population to prevent extremism and promote understanding and tolerance in the country, especially ahead of the 2024 general election.
He said that since 2020, the NPC had undertaken several programmes to build resilience against terrorism and violent extremism. These included engaging more than 100 student leaders across the country, training more than 400 youths in all the regions and reaching out to more than 200 fisherfolk and commercial drivers on ways to prevent the insurgents from infiltrating the country.
He also expressed concern about protracted chieftaincy conflicts and unresolved disputes within and between political parties, which he said could create opportunities for violence and extremism.
“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.
Challenges
The Country Representative of CRS, Daniel Mumuni, said there had been instances where trust between political parties and security agencies in the country had been strained, leading to a sense of apprehension within the society.
He said such situations endangered democratic processes and undermined national development. He added that establishing a vibrant peace-building infrastructure would strengthen partnerships and promote 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 as a world-class institution.
He said this was being done through engaging various stakeholders in communities to ensure law and order prevailed.