The one-year project, under the Japan UNDP Partnership Fund, is being implemented by KAIPTC in partnership with the Government of Japan and UNDP.
The project seeks to improve knowledge and information-sharing among security personnel and civil society actors in preventing and countering terrorism, violent extremism, and small arms proliferation, diversions and trafficking in seven countries in West Africa through capacity development, training of trainers and a regional policy and experience sharing seminar.
The countries are Benin, Togo, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso
The project will also source some logistics in terms of motorbikes for four of the seven participating countries, particularly those in the border areas to improve the effectiveness of their work.
The Commandant at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), Major General Addo Gyane said the West Africa sub-region was in a state of flux adding that despite past and ongoing efforts at reducing maritime insecurity in the sub-region, the human security of the people remained fragile.
“Rising armed conflict, deteriorating security, widespread poverty and the impact of climate change are posing a real threat to countries in the sub-region.
Attacks on civilians and infrastructure and conflict between the state and non-state armed groups have led to massive population displacement across Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger,” he said.
He explained that interventions that are geared towards ensuring the resilience of communities and state actors in addressing these myriad threats have become very crucial.
For her part, the Chief Director of the Ministry of the Interior, Adelaide Anno-Kumi, said there is a possibility of a greater spread of violent extremism in Africa which could seriously affect development.
That, she said, calls for a concerted and collective effort to guard against it.
