Peace Council holds workshop on violent extremism

The Northern Regional Peace Council has organised a sensitisation workshop on preventing violent extremism for youth groups and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) as part of mechanisms to prevent violent extremism in the country.

The three-day sensitisation workshop for youth groups and MSMEs in the Sagnarigu Municipality of the Northern Region was supported by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to create awareness of violent extremism and develop resilient structures for the prevention of violent extremism nationwide.

Most Reverend Philip Naameh, the Chairman of the Northern Regional Peace Council, whose speech was read on his behalf during the opening of the workshop in Tamale, said over the last two years, communities in Ghana’s neighbouring countries had felt the wrenching pain of violent extremist activities.

Most Reverend Naameh called on national stakeholders, local government, traditional authorities, religious leaders, civil society organisations, academia, MSMEs and local communities to support efforts to fight against violent extremism.

He emphasised that “We have to take both short-term measures to prevent real threats of today and long-term measures to diminish the emerging threats of tomorrow.”

He appealed for funding support for the executive committees of Karaga, Gushegu, Yendi, Zabzugu, Tatal-Sanguli, Saboba and Chereponi Districts to implement district frameworks for the prevention of violent extremism.

Mr Mohammed Ahmed Yakubu, the Municipal Chief Executive of Sagnarigu Municipal Assembly, called on the citizenry to support the security agencies to develop a multifaceted solution and also intensify their efforts to prevent external attacks and promote community cohesion in areas at great risk of violent extremist influence.

He advised the citizenry to provide useful information to the security agencies to take action.

Mrs Melody Azinim, the Programme Analyst at UNDP, urged the youth groups, MSMEs, chiefs and opinion leaders to collaborate with the community members to report individuals or groups engaged in any suspicious activity that could give rise to violent extremism to the authorities for inquiry.