By Ernest Nutsugah
Accra, Aug. 16, GNA – Brigadier General Lawrence Deku, Deputy Commandant of the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, has tasked peace and security experts to deepen collaboration to address Africa’s security challenges.
He said the continent’s evolving threats required expertise from diverse sectors, including traditional leaders, religious bodies and local communities.
Brig. Gen. Deku made the call in a speech read on his behalf at the General Assembly and Induction Ceremony of the Association of Conflict, Peace and Security Experts in Africa (ACPSEA) in Accra.
He said emerging threats included food insecurity, political crises, maritime insecurity and activities of violent extremists.
Brig. Gen. Deku said those challenges required new strategies and expertise from professionals across different fields.
“We need to move from knowledge production to knowledge utilisation, from individual expertise to collective intelligence, and from isolated interventions to collaborative problem solving.
“There is the need to recognise local communities not as beneficiaries of security interventions but as actors with knowledge, agency, and solutions,” he said.
Brig. Gen. Deku urged members of the Association to use their expertise to help shape policies and decisions that promoted peace and sustainable development.
“Think of your role not as experts who diagnose Africa’s problems but as partners in developing and implementing solutions… let us challenge ourselves to build relationships, institutions, knowledge and partnerships that make corporation possible,” he added.
A total of 77 members from Ghana and other African countries were inducted at the ceremony, held on the theme: “From Conflict to Cooperation: Enhancing Peace, Security and Sustainable Development in Africa.”
ACPSEA was launched on March 10, 2026.
It brings together stakeholders from academia, security institutions, policy organisations, civil society and dispute resolution institutions.
The Association seeks to promote professionalism, knowledge exchange and collaborative action in conflict management, dispute resolution, peacebuilding and security studies.
Mr Isaac Asare, Founder and President of the Association, said peace and security were fundamental to Africa’s economic and social transformation.
He said conflict resolution required more proactive measures.
“Early warnings must lead to early actions. Mediation, dialogue and other non-adversarial dispute resolution mechanisms must be strengthened, and peacebuilding must become a sustained investment rather than an intervention that begins only after conflict has already escalate,” he said.
Mr Asare said the Association would build a continental network of professionals to support
peacebuilding initiatives and contribute to preventing and resolving conflicts.
He urged members to uphold professional standards and support initiatives that advanced the Association’s core values and objectives.
Rear Admiral Geoffrey Mawuli Biekro (Rtd) urged the Association to collaborate with policymakers and remain relevant to the changing peace and security environment.
He also called for mentorship and the establishment of standards for training and certification of peace and security professionals.
Madam Kazia Kenneth Azumah, Country Coordinator of the Association, advised young people, communities, organisations and individuals to reject violence and resolve conflicts through dialogue.
The inductees comprised 42 Members, 24 Fellows and 11 Honorary Fellows.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Sackey
Reporter: Ernest Nutsugah