Accra hosts symposium on combating terrorism in Africa

Global Alternative Agenda, a non-governmental organization (NGO), has organised a symposium on combating terrorism in Africa to create awareness on the increasing rate of terrorism, which poses the biggest threat to the security of Africa.

The initiative served as a platform to dialogue with stakeholders on national security with focus on how to prevent, attack and survive terrorism in Africa, using best practices such as political instrument, legislation and law enforcement.

The symposium was to present and come out with an independent, objective and non-partisan research work, which would serve as an ideal base to study terrorism, and observe the formulation and implementation of counter-terrorism policy in Africa.

It was on the theme: “Terrorism: Development in Nigeria and National Security Implication for Ghana; Partnering to Meet the New Security Challenge.”

The symposium was attended by about 300 participants including experts, political leaders, security agencies, members of academic communities and students.

Others were civil society organisations, emergency respondents, business executives and volunteers from Ghana and Nigeria.

The participants were taken through topics such as; the rise of domestic terrorism and national concern, how to combat terrorism through public private partnership, involvement of Legislation, Parliament and Judiciary in combating terrorism and the role of the media and civil society organisations in fighting against terrorism.

Brigadier-General Joseph Nunoo-Mensah, National Security Advisor, addressing the participants, said terrorism was one of Africa’s biggest challenges undermining the development of the continent.

He said as long as the right measures were not taken to address the situation, it would forever remain a threat to the safety and security of many African countries.

Brig-Gen. Nunoo-Mensah, mentioned two main causes of terrorism, poverty and lack of unity among Muslim and Christian communities, and said that there was the need to find out problems of terrorists and provide tangible solutions to them.

“Let us analyse situations that can create terrorism and deal with it, not necessarily using military mechanisms to fight them,” said Brig-Gen. Nunoo-Mensah.

He advised African leaders to share national cakes fairly to all parts of their countries and resolve every internal conflict to help prevent terrorism.**