By Gilbert Azeem Tiroog
Paga (U/E), Nov 15, GNA– The Catholic Relief Services (CRS), in partnership with the Upper East Regional Peace Council, has facilitated a dialogue session between community members and security agencies in the Kassena Nankana West District to strengthen their relationship.
The dialogue session brought together security agencies, including the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Immigration Service, and Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons, among others, alongside community members, including chiefs, youth and women groups, and other opinion leaders.
It formed part of the Prevention of Violent Extremism through Social Accountability (POVESTA) II project, being funded by the Dutch government.
It aimed at improving trust relationship between civilians and security services towards the prevention of violent extremism.
In her remarks, Ms Adelaide Ayiriyelley, Project Manager of the POVESTA project at CRS Ghana, indicated that the dialogue session formed part of a series of activities aimed at fostering peace and trust between security Agencies and the community members to counter extremist activities.
“Aside this dialogue, a series of training workshops will be carried out for key stakeholders, focusing on conflict resolution and mediation skills.
“The project will culminate on November 15 with a community football match, designed to foster cooperation and friendly competition between security services and the residents”, she added.
Ms Ayiriyelley called on the stakeholders to champion peace in their various communities by encouraging peaceful coexistence, enhancing mutual understanding and promoting trust between the security forces and residents.
Mr David Angaamba, Principal Programmes Manager of the Upper East Regional Peace Council, highlighted the importance of the initiative, emphasising that strong community-security relations were vital to building community resilience against violent extremism.
“The community and security services must collaborate effectively to avoid conflicts, especially as the country approaches its election period. By ensuring mutual respect and understanding, we can prevent electoral violence and external threats”, he stated.
He said the stakeholders must commit efforts to prevent violence, both internally and externally, particularly from the threat of violent extremism spilling over from neighboring Burkina Faso, in order to maintain the democratic gains of the country.
Deputy Superintendent of Immigration (DSI), Jerry Atippoe, Kassena Nankana Municipal Commander of the Ghana Immigration Service, said the service needed the support of residents to flush out migrants who entered the country through unapproved routes.
That, he emphasised, would facilitate sanity by ensuring violent extremists do not take advantage of the country’s porous borders.
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Khalil Ibrahim, the Kassena Nankana West District Police commander, called on the residents to be vigilant and report suspicious activities to the security services.
GNA