Kofi Ampeah Woode
As part of his 4-day tour of Ghana, the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany – His Excellency (HE) Olaf Scholz, paid a day’s visit to the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), and reaffirmed his country’s staunch commitment to the West African Training Centre of Excellence (TCE).
HE Herr Scholz was in the company of a large entourage on German officials, along with his host, the President of Ghana and Commander-in-Chief (C-In-C) of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) – HE Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on the afternoon of Tuesday, 31 October, 2023.
Delivering a speech at a Public Lecture held on the occasion of his visit, HE Scholz spoke on three thematic areas, namely; West African sub-regional cooperation for security, the KAIPTC and the United Nations in peace keeping and building, and upholding the rules and principles of the UN Charter and International Law.
Herr Scholz opined that one of the concerning repercussions of the series of coups in the Sahel Region is the waning of cooperation between states in the Sahel and those from the Gulf of Guinea (GoG).
He asserted that terrorists exploit any lack of cooperation and unity between neighbouring countries, for which reason, he hailed the Accra Initiative as it fosters cross-border cooperation through intelligence sharing and joint operations.
He pledged his government’s priority and preparedness to further extend and refine the two countries’ cooperation to assist Ghana and all other West African partners, in preserving stability and countering the threats posed by terrorists and criminal groups.
On the KAIPTC and the UN, Herr Scholz commended Ghana as the host of the next UN Peacekeeping Ministerial Conference – the first of such meetings taking place in Africa – on 5 and 6 December, 2023, and also, for being a member of a group of African states overseeing negotiations for a reform of UN Security Council, which reform he said is overdue.
Denmark, Germany, Norway, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands will be supporting the UN Peacekeeping Ministerial Conference event, which will focus on protection of civilians, strategic communications (including mis/dis information and hate speech), safety and security, and mental health of peacekeepers and women in peacekeeping.
He continued that Africa’s weight and interest can make a crucial difference in New York, at the UN Security Council, for African States contribute more than a quarter of members of the UN General Assembly, and that Germany will be by Africa’s side.
On upholding the rules and principles of the UN Charter and International Law, the German Chancellor said if adherence to International Law breaks down, peace freedom and prosperity are at stake for everyone, and thus called the comity of nations to act with the same clarity and determination, no matter where these principles come under attack.
He defined the principle as meaning that all nations must fight acts of terrorism targeting the people of the Sahel region and eliminate its root causes, and so must they be clear in their condemnation of terrorist attacks; such as those that Hamas perpetrated against innocent people in Israel, and stand up to oppose Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.
Herr Scholz quizzed, “If Russia, a permanent member of the UN Security Council were to succeed in this attack, how could other countries be sure that their territorial integrity would be guaranteed in the future, and that the international community is prepared to defend it?”
“We live in times when peace is at risk in many places around the world, and every effort to keep peace makes a world of difference”, the Chancellor concluded.
The Commandant of KAIPTC – Major General (Maj Gen) Richard Addo Gyane, presenting his welcome address, said over 21,000 persons, made up of military, police and civilians, from more than 90 countries and 5 continents, have benefited from training at the TCE.
He added that the KAIPTC has also graduated over 500 persons from its academic programmes, including six (6) PhDs.
He said Germany’s support for the Centre dates back to the year 2002 when the actual construction of the Centre commenced, with KAIPTC having seconded staff from Germany serving as Course Directors, to support the Training Department, with funding from the Federal Foreign Office.
Giving further details, General Gyane stated that, with support from the German Development Cooperation, implemented by Gesellschaft Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and other partner agencies, including the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), KAIPTC has trained more than 1000 civilian, military and police experts from all over Africa.
The numbers include more than sixty (60) mid-career women leaders who have benefited from the German scholarship programme dubbed: “Inspiring African Women Leaders in Peace and Security”.
Germany has also been a key partner in the establishment of regional and continental policy exchange platforms, including the Kofi Annan Peace and Security Forum (KAPS), which is organised yearly, and usually chaired by the President of Ghana, and attended by highly placed dignitaries, including sitting and former Presidents.
Mr Charles Bani – UN Resident Coordinator in Ghana, who presented a lecture on “UN Peacekeeping in West Africa and the role of KAIPTC”, intimated that the UN was established on three fundamental pillars, as outlined in the United Nations Charter: promotion of international peace and security, advancement of economic and social growth, and protection and promotion of human rights.
He said the Prevention Agenda of the UN Secretary-General constitutes an important component of the UN’s peace and security mandate, which is premised on the primacy of politics and the need to work closely with actors at local, national, and regional levels, to improve spaces for dialogue and address the drivers of conflict.
He continued that when conflicts erupt, the UN leverages its peacekeeping toolbox to ensure it responds to very complex and dynamic situations where civilians, particularly, women and children, are often at risk.
With the support of Germany and Ghana, Mr Abani said, UN peacekeeping missions have been deployed with varied mandates to protect civilians, promote political instability and implementation of peace accords/agreements, enhance the respect of human rights, support disarmament and security sector reform processes and many more.
Contemporary UN peace keeping operations with multifaceted mandates also serve a crucial role in assisting in democratic endeavours, including facilitating electoral processes, safeguarding and advancing the rule of law and aiding in establishing and reinstating frameworks for sustainable peace and development, he continued.
“Among the six peacekeeping operations currently in Africa, only one is in West Africa, known as the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA). This mission was established in April 2013 and is closing as of 31 December 2023 after an immediate request for withdrawal by the Government of Mali last June which was approved by Security Council Resolution 2690/2023.
The UN peacekeeping mission in Liberia which concluded in March 2018, successfully disarmed over 100,000 combatants and secured approximately 21,000 weapons. Additionally, it facilitated the repatriation of around one million refugees and displaced individuals, allowing them to return to their homes.
The mission was crucial in organizing three peaceful presidential and legislative elections. In Cote d’Ivoire, the UN Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI) contributed to addressing post electoral violence following disputed elections in 2011.
In Sierra Leone, the UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL 1999-2006) and its succeeding offices (UN Integrated Office for Sierra Leone – UNIOSIL (2006-2008) and UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Sierra Leone (UNIPSIL) collectively contributed to ending the civil war, supported transition into post conflict and democratic rule and contributed to building governance structures.
In Guinea Bissau, the UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNIOGBIS) completed its Security Council mandate on 31 December 2020 during which it supported the implementation of the Conakry Agreement of 14 October 2016 and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) six point road map for resolving Guinea-Bissau’s political crisis.
The case of Mali confronted with multiple challenges has exposed the limits of peacekeeping. Nonetheless, MINUSMA, which has often found itself in the middle of these challenges, has had to carefully navigate and explore better options for the implementation of its mandate including inter alia, the protection of civilians and pre-empting hostilities between signatories to the Algiers Peace Agreement of 2015.
Continental and regional institutions including AU and ECOWAS remain key players in the peace and security arena and particularly in conflict prevention and resolution.
The efforts of coastal states, through the Accra Initiative, is a strong and positive effort to be applauded and supported in this regard.
Recent events in Niger and other countries in transition in the region have highlighted the issues faced by ECOWAS in its core mandate of promoting regional peace and security.
Mindful of this – Inter-communal conflicts have increased in frequency and intensity requiring more long-term approaches to address their structural causes – the UN has been supporting national and regional processes to address the root causes of these types of conflict.
Unified guidance from the UN Security Council and clarity of mandates are equally important for the success of peace keeping missions.
The nature of security threats warrants sustained investment in prevention as peace missions may come in too late or may not be suited to address these threats. Hence, preventive diplomacy and good governance underpinned by the Sustainable Development Goals must be prioritized and benefit from more investments.
the invaluable contribution of the KAIPTC to enhancing the capacity of peace actors through the provision of comprehensive training to military, police, and civilian personnel involved in multidimensional peacekeeping and peace support operations within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) region as well as other parts of Africa.
The research focus of the Centre represents a significant advancement toward acquiring substantial knowledge about peacekeeping efforts in West Africa and other regions. The acquisition of such knowledge remains crucial in informing the development and implementation of peacekeeping missions in many regions worldwide.
The capacity development programmes have contributed to developing a new cohort of individuals with enhanced critical thinking skills, specifically to engage in peacekeeping missions in West Africa and other regions.”
Other dignitaries present included Ghana’s Ministers for Defence, Information, Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration – Mr Dominic Aduna Bingab Nitiwul, Mr Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah and Mrs Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, respectively, Ghana’s Chief of the Army Staff – Maj Gen Thomas Oppong-Peprah, the Chief of the Naval Staff – Rear Admiral Issah Adam Yakubu, and the Chief of Staff, General Headquarters, Ghana Armed Forces – Maj Gen – Nicholas Peter Andoh, amongst many.
By Kofi Ampeah-Woode
