KAIPTC assembles panel of experts for a public forum on July 4 to discuss increasing terrorist threats in the sub-region
The Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) is set to host its ‘Reflections on Security Series’ to provide the platform to unpack the complex security dimensions of the surge in terrorist attacks in West Africa.
The forum will be held at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) on Thursday, 4th July from 09:30a.m. – 12:00p.m. Participants will be drawn from members of the diplomatic corps, academia, students, civil society organisations, media practitioners, the business community and officers from security agencies, hospital industry, and religious organisations.
KAIPTC is hosting this series in the wake of increasing activities of violent extremist groups in parts of West Africa. These radical extremist groups continue to use asymmetrical tactics to undermine efforts at strengthening governance and security in their areas of operation through a series of attacks such as kidnappings, bombings among others. The activities of these groups have generated mixed reactions from different sections of society.
The series seeks to provide an open space within which topical and sensitive national, regional and international issues can be discussed by relevant stakeholders premised on trust, openness and reciprocal respect.
Security experts such as Dr. Festus Aubyn, Supt Raymond Adofiem Wejong and Mr. Mutaru Mumuni Muqthar will sit on the panel which will be chaired by Dr. Kwesi Aning.
The panellists will also reflect on the level of state preparedness to respond to these emerging threats from radical extremist groups and the role of the citizenry in reducing the threats from these radical groups. The role of different sections of society i.e., the business community, religious bodies, community leaders, community ‘watch dogs’ and the international community in mitigating violent extremism in the region will also be explored.
Some of the key issues to be explored at the seminar include the various groups involved in terrorist attacks, their motivation and main targets; the role of irregular migration through porous borders and its contributions to the surge in terrorist attacks will also be discussed.
At the end of the forum, it is expected that participants will have acquired sufficient knowledge on the threats from radical extremist groups and begin to serve as advocates in the prevention of terrorist threats.
For further information, please contact the Corporate Affairs Unit of the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) on +233302-718200 ext 1104/1203 or +233 550 303030. You can find the KAIPTC on Facebook and twitter as: @Kaiptcgh. You can further find out more about the KAIPTC on our website: www.kaiptc.org.
About the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre:
The Ghana Ministry of Defence (MoD) established the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) in 1998 and commissioned it in 2004. The purpose was to build upon and share Ghana’s five decades of internationally acclaimed experience and competence in peace operations with other states in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) region and the rest of Africa. This was in recognition of the need for training military, police and civilian men and women to meet the changing demands of multidimensional peace operations. The Centre is one of the three (3) Peacekeeping Training Centres of Excellence mandated by the ECOWAS to offer training in peacekeeping and peace support operations (PSO) in Africa.
The Centre delivers training courses in three thematic areas; Peace Support Operations, Conflict Management and Peace and Security Studies and also runs Masters and PhD programmes in same. The KAIPTC has a world-class research department that undertakes research in the thematic areas in Peace and Security. Located in Accra, Ghana, the KAIPTC is an internationally recognised institution and has to date trained and tutored over 21, 496 participants and students since its inception.
KAIPTC is a gender-sensitive organisation and committed to gender equality. Following the launch of its gender policy in 2014, the Centre has mainstreamed gender into its policies and programmes, and integrates same in its focal areas, namely training, research and postgraduate education. The Centre has developed a Sexual Harassment policy and fully oriented employees on same. It has also provided a Nursing and Childcare Centre and instituted a paternity leave policy, all with the aim to create a conducive work environment at KAIPTC.