Ghana’s Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, has called for a fundamental shift in West Africa’s security strategy, asserting that military force alone cannot stop the spread of violent extremism.
Representing President John Dramani Mahama at the High Level Consultative Conference on Regional Cooperation and Security held in Accra, the Minister emphasized that the security landscape has evolved into one of unprecedented complexity, requiring a response where development and security are mutually reinforcing.
The Minister warned that groups in the Sahel are increasingly exploiting governance gaps, youth unemployment, and environmental stress to consolidate power.
He noted that the Sahel now accounts for over half of global terrorism deaths, describing it as a transnational crisis with a high potential for spillover into coastal states like Ghana. He observed that when young people face blocked pathways to meaningful livelihoods and basic services fail to reach frontier zones, vulnerabilities multiply for criminal networks to exploit.
“Security can no longer be addressed predominantly through a narrow military and intelligence lens,” Mohammed-Mubarak declared. “It must be embedded within a comprehensive, regionally owned cooperation framework in which development and security are mutually reinforcing pillars.”
He further urged the intelligence chiefs to move beyond what he termed “episodic diplomacy” and fragmented operational efforts, calling instead for a structured platform that delivers tangible benefits like restored transport corridors and streamlined trade.
Addressing the delegates directly, the Minister called for a new era of transparency and local ownership of security solutions. He urged the intelligence heads to engage with innovation and to share best practices that disrupt recruitment pipelines by creating opportunities for the youth.
“I urge you to engage with candor and innovation,” he stated. “Let your deliberations reflect the realities on the ground, the need for trust-building among states amid recent fragmentation and the imperative of local ownership.”
He concluded by expressing confidence that a unified regional action would lead to a future defined by prosperity rather than insecurity.
Story By: Eugenia Ewoenam Osei
