National Peace Council launches project to prevent violent extremism in Ghana

The National Peace Council (NPC) has partnered with Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) to implement Phase II of the Preventing Violent Extremism through Social Accountability (PoTVESA II) project.

This three-year initiative aims to build the capacity of security forces and raise awareness of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) principle in Ghana’s Northern Belt. The project seeks to strengthen relationships between civilians and security agencies, fostering trust as a key strategy in preventing violent extremism.

Speaking at the project launch, Frank Wilson Bodza, Deputy Director in charge of Conflict Management and Resolution at the National Peace Council, highlighted the importance of the training programme in equipping security forces with legal and strategic knowledge.

“A key objective of the training is to introduce participants to concepts and legal definitions of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, empowering them to prevent mass atrocities,” he stated.

He emphasised that PoTVESA II aims to build consensus and trust between communities and security agencies in tackling extremist threats.

“We want to build social cohesion between communities by involving security agencies in addressing violent extremism threats within and towards the country,” Bodza added.

The training programme is structured around three stages of prevention strategies:

• Primary prevention: Analysing long-term governance, historical, economic, and societal factors that increase a country’s risk of violent extremism.

• Secondary prevention: Implementing real-time relief efforts during a crisis.

• Tertiary prevention: Engaging in post-crisis efforts to foster resilience and stability.

Training for 150 Security Personnel Across Five Regions

The project is set to train 150 security personnel from the Ghana Armed Forces, Ghana Police Service, Ghana Immigration Service, Ghana Prisons Service, and Ghana National Fire Service. Training sessions will be conducted across five regions:

• Northern Region

• North East Region

• Savannah Region

• Upper East Region

• Upper West Region

Bodza reiterated the National Peace Council’s commitment to preventing genocide and mass atrocities by equipping security agencies with effective strategies at all levels.

The PoTVESA II project builds on an earlier training programme conducted in 2023, which trained 30 security personnel. Based on its success and recommendations, the programme has been expanded to reach a larger number of security officers.

This initiative is a crucial part of the National Peace Council’s broader efforts to promote peace and stability in Ghana, reinforcing its mandate to prevent, manage, and resolve conflicts.

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