Ghana convenes security stakeholders to assess Sahel threat readiness ahead of national forum

Ghana is taking proactive steps to assess its vulnerability to security threats emanating from instability in the central Sahel, with stakeholders gathering this week for a national forum in Accra to evaluate the country's readiness to prevent and respond to potential spillover effects.

The engagement comes as part of Ghana's commitment to the Bamako Declaration, a regional framework adopted in Mali in March that calls for coordinated action among Sahel and West African nations to promote peace, security and social cohesion. The declaration represents a collective response from Ghana, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Côte d'Ivoire to address mounting insecurity in the region.

Building national consensus on Sahel security

According to Richard Nyaaba Akurugu, National Coordinator of the Sahel Peace Initiative (SPI) Ghana, the current debriefing sessions serve as preparation for a comprehensive national forum scheduled for Thursday, being organised by the Governance, Justice and Peace Directorate of the National Catholic Secretariat. The forum will bring together representatives from Ghana's security services, academia, civil society organisations, faith-based leaders including the Office of the National Chief Imam and the Catholic Church, as well as development partners and media.

Mr Akurugu explained that the exercise aims to contextualise the Bamako Declaration within Ghana's specific security landscape. "We are bringing together relevant stakeholders to let them hear about the call, discuss it and see how we are contextualising it in Ghana," he stated.

Identifying gaps and strengthening early warning systems

The national forum will examine several critical components of Ghana's security infrastructure:

• Assessment of the country's existing early warning systems and their effectiveness
• Identification of operational and institutional gaps in preventing violent extremism
• Evaluation of community resilience mechanisms against security threats
• Development of practical measures to strengthen preparedness across different sectors

Akurugu emphasised that discussions will focus on producing actionable outcomes. "The major takeaway will be having an understanding of where we are as a country in our preparedness, our early warning systems, the gaps that are there, and then practical steps that could be taken by various stakeholders in ensuring that we have bridged those gaps," he said.

Why it matters for Ghana

Ghana's engagement with the Sahel Peace Initiative reflects growing regional concerns about the spread of violent extremism and organised crime from conflict zones in neighbouring countries. Whilst Ghana has largely maintained relative stability compared to Burkina Faso and Mali, where militant groups have gained significant ground, the country faces legitimate risks from potential spillover effects including cross-border militant activity, refugee influxes, and weapons trafficking.

The Sahel region has experienced deteriorating security conditions over the past decade, with terrorist organisations exploiting weak state capacity and grievances. Ghana's proactive assessment strategy demonstrates recognition that prevention and early response are more cost-effective than reactive crisis management. The forum's focus on early warning systems and community resilience aligns with international best practices in counter-terrorism and conflict prevention.

The Sahel Peace Initiative itself, spearheaded by the Catholic Church with support from Catholic Relief Services, takes a holistic approach that extends beyond military responses to address root causes of extremism. This regional peacebuilding programme emphasises dialogue, social cohesion and collaboration—factors that security experts argue are essential for sustainable stability in West Africa.

Ghana's participation signals the country's commitment to regional security cooperation and its recognition that challenges in the Sahel ultimately demand collective action among West African states.