By: Ivan Amponsah and Bright Ntramah
A Counter Terrorism Conference of the Accra Initiative has opened in Accra with a call to pursue a comprehensive approach that promotes the adoption of social intervention programmes to help address the developmental gap in vulnerable communities within member States.
Nana Akufo-Addo, President of the host nation, who opened the conference called on colleague heads of state to collaborate to pursue a common agenda that will stand the test of scrutiny.
The meeting of Accra Initiative of seven West African in Accra is to discuss ways of preventing the spillover of terrorism from the Sahel region.
The Five West African countries — Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Togo — established the Accra Initiative in 2017 in order to collaborate against violent extremism in the region. Mali and Niger were admitted as observers before becoming members in 2019. The program promotes information sharing, training of security and intelligence personnel, and cross-border military operations in an often-volatile region.
President Akufo-Addo said West Africa continues to suffer from the effects of the scourge of terrorism and violent extremism. These terrorist groups according to the President are seeking new operational grounds that has shifted the South West drift of the menace from the Sahel to coast of West Africa. On the role of international partners with regard to the Accra Initiative, President Akufo-Addo noted that their support per the analysis will be very crucial to the success of the initiative.
President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr . Omar Alieu Touray said the increasing threat of terrorism in West Africa needs the support of all member states.
Participants in this week’s meeting include officials from the European Union, Ambassadors from the member states, traditional leaders and some regional military officials. The conference is expected to culminate in a summit of member countries’ heads of state and government. A Communique is expected to be issued after the conference.
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