By Rosemary Wayo
Tamale, Feb 24, GNA – The National Catholic Secretariat, with support from the Catholic Relief Services (CRS), has held a national forum in Tamale to discuss trending conflict issues in the country.
The forum, which formed part of the Sahel Peace Initiative of the Catholic Church, was to raise awareness on violent extremism and advocate for positive actions against it.
It was on the theme: “Trending Conflicts in Ghana, Fertile Grounds for Violent Extremism: A Call for Action”.
Participants included representatives of religious groups, political parties, security services, civil society organisations and various government institutions.
Most Reverend Philip Naameh, Tamale Metropolitan Archbishop, whose speech was read on his behalf at the forum, said the country faced a risk of violent extremism spill over from the Sahel.
He said peacebuilding must become the responsibility of citizens to build a cohesive and resilient society devoid of conflicts, adding government alone could not avert violent extremism.
He added that “The peaceful nature of the country is under serious threat as external refugee inflows, chieftaincy disputes, farmer-herder tension and proliferation of small arms and light weapons are leading to conflicts, eventually a fertile ground for extremism.”
Mr Francis Kwaku Poku, a former National Security Coordinator during a panel discussion, expressed need for measures to prevent violent extremism in the country.
He said unemployment and unoccupied lands were security threats that should be addressed calling for strong governance where citizens would regain confidence in government.
He urged citizens to participate at all levels of governance as well as eliminate politics of exclusion, which could breed conflicts.
Mr Albert Yelyang, National Network Coordinator of WANEP-Ghana, said there must be intergenerational conversation among the youth, elders, and government beyond political manifestos to address the actual needs of the youth.
He encouraged religious groups to expand roles in preaching against domestic extremism, adding that awareness creation and capacity building on early signs could aid the fight against extremism.
Reverend Father Clement Aapengnuo, Team Lead of COGINTA-Ghana project, said an understanding of the dynamics of violent extremism was an important guide in its fight.
He noted that extremists capitalised on local grievances such as chieftaincy, political and land disputes to operate and urged citizens to unite.
GNA