Mr Bill Godson Ocloo, a Security Analyst, has sounded an alarm over the increasing threat of jihadist activities in the Sahel region and its high proximity to Ghana’s borders.
He said the development had raised critical concerns about the country’s security landscape and the potential risks of jihadist spillover into Ghana.
Mr Ocloo said that the recent attack by jihadists near Ghana’s border with Burkina Faso resulted in the deaths of four Burkinabe soldiers and the incident underscored the potential risks of jihadist activities spreading to Ghana, which highlighted the need for heightened vigilance and robust countermeasures.
He explained that Ghana which was known for its relative peace and stability in a volatile region, must navigate the complexities of addressing jihadist threats while balancing security concerns with the protection of human rights and prevention of radicalisation.
“The country’s northern regions, particularly areas like Bawku, face unique challenges due to porous borders and existing local conflicts,” he said.
Mr Ocloo told the Ghana News Agency that, effective collaboration with neighbouring countries like Burkina Faso, and other international partners, should be crucial in mitigating the security threats.
He advised that the country’s security agencies must strengthen intelligence-sharing frameworks, joint patrols, and community engagement to better detect and disrupt terrorists’ networks and their hideouts to combat such threats without fear or favour.
Mr Ocloo, who is also the Executive Director of African Centre for Human Security, said that preventing the spread of extremist ideologies required multi-layered strategies that went beyond military intervention, educational programmes, community dialogues, religious engagement, and that socio-economic development were critical in addressing the root causes of radicalisation.
He said the border security system faced significant challenges which include inadequate surveillance infrastructure, limited manpower, and insufficient border patrol technology, while the vulnerabilities were exploited by transnational criminal and terrorist networks.
“The Ghana Police Service, Ghana Armed Forces, and other security agencies must enhance border control through modern technological solutions such as drones, biometric data collection, and joint border patrols.
Furthermore, intelligence-led policing and community-based intelligence gathering were vital in detecting early signs of radicalisation or insurgent activity.”
The Security Analyst said while strengthening security was paramount to the safety of all, measures should be adopted by human rights standards and warned that excessive militarisation or discriminatory practices could undermine public trust, alienate local communities, and exacerbate tensions in the already volatile regions of Bawku and Gbe.
He said the ongoing conflicts in Bawku and Gbe reflected on the longstanding ethnic, political, and socio-economic grievances and the disputes have occasionally resulted in violence, displacing communities and weakening social cohesion which provided a fertile environment for extremist ideologies to flourish, especially when local grievances are intertwined with national security concerns.
He said addressing the conflicts required a twin approach-peacebuilding and development initiatives combined with counter-terrorism efforts, and incorporating traditional dispute resolution mechanisms, fostering inter-ethnic dialogue, and promoting socio-economic development in affected areas were crucial in reducing localised tensions to prevent them from serving as recruitment grounds for insurgents.
He stated that the emergence of jihadist threats near Ghana’s border with Burkina Faso presented a multidimensional challenge that necessitates a regional, multi-sectoral response.
Mr Ocloo further urged security agencies to bolster border surveillance, foster regional cooperation, and integrate counter-radicalisation programmes within broader social and political reforms to prevent further attacks from the terrorists before it escalate.
Source: GNA
The post Security Analyst calls for stronger security measures at Ghana’s borders over jihadist activities appeared first on Ghana Business News.
Read Full Story
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram
Google+
YouTube
LinkedIn
RSS