Kofi Ampeah Woode
In preparing Ghana’s Security Services towards less violence in the country’s 9th quadrennial General Elections scheduled for December 7, 2024, the German Government, partnering the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), has held a 5-day Elections Violence Security (EVS) Course’24, for 100 representatives of state security services operating in the southern sector of Ghana.
The closing ceremony of the EVS24 was held on Friday June 7, 2024, with the Deputy Head of Mission of the German Embassy in Ghana – Her Excellency (HE) Sivine Jansen, as the Chief Guest, supported by the Deputy Commandant, KAIPTC – Air Commodore (A/Cdre) David Akrong, and the Deputy Director, Training – Wing Commander (W/Cdr) (Rtd) Christian Eshun.
HE S Jansen said Electoral Violence and Security, takes prime-position in the consolidation of peace and stability, hence, the EVS course attempts to assist security personnel to draw an effective violence mitigation strategy towards elections, with plans such as identifying early warning signs, mobilizing citizens, monitoring and mitigation efforts, dispatching properly trained security forces, coordinating government agencies, and educating the public.
She said the course is packaged to enhance the capacity of law enforcement agencies in the prevention, management of potential or perceived electoral violence situations, and further seeks to update information and fundamental understanding of the roles of relevant security agencies, and other stakeholders in the management of the electoral process.
She also posited that the EVS24 sought to build capacity of participants, on how electoral crimes can be identified, processed and prosecuted; as well as who is responsible for prosecuting electoral crimes, and additionally identified how to hold adjudication institutions accountable, for the proper prosecution of crimes and redress of complaints lodged.
Madam Jansen concluded that the roles of the participants in the various sectors of security, would ultimately contribute to building strong and functioning security sector institutions that can promote rule-of-law, human security, political stability and less violence during the elections.
A/Cdre D Akrong, in his opening remarks, said the EVS24 took participants through the contextual appreciation of Recent Electoral Violence Trends; Elections Cycles and Election security; Gender, Human Rights and Elections Security; Threat Assessment, Intelligence Management and Early Warning; Community Policing and Election Security; Leadership and Election Security.
Participants were drawn from Ghana’s Police, Military, Customs, Prisons, Immigration and Fire Services, in the management of the electoral process, with target personnel being Officers of the ranks of Major or Assistant Superintendent or its equivalent, or Officers with command roles in the upcoming election.
A/Cdre Akrong said with the German support, KAIPTC will replicate EVS24 from Monday 10 to Friday 14 of June, 2024 in Kumasi, for security Officers in the middle sector, and from Monday 17 to Friday 21 June, 2024 in Tamale, for security Officers in the northern sectors of Ghana, with the Ghana Police Service being the lead agency of Ghana’s Election Security Task Force.
Election-related violence has become a recurring political issue and a major source of threat to security in the West African Region, recurring before, during and after every election.
Since 2002, the Federal Republic of Germany has supported and partnered KAIPTC, to contribute in several ways to peace and security in Ghana, the West African sub-region, and Africa at large, with KAIPTC delivering courses such as Investigating Sexual Gender Based Violence, Police Middle Management Course, Women’s Leadership Development program, among others, to security personnel from West Africa.
Course Directors for EVS24 are Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Osman Abdul-Razak; Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Edem Agbitor and CSP Andrease.
By Kofi Ampeah-Woode
