WACCE warns of growing terrorist threat in Ghana
The West Africa Centre for Counter-Extremism (WACCE) said that Ghana is increasingly exposed to a terrorist threat as extremist violence in the Sahel spreads closer to its borders. The centre's Executive Director, Muttaru Mumuni Mukhtar, said this during a memorial dialogue marking the anniversary of the September 11 attacks in Accra, MyJoyOnline reports.
According to Mukhtar, due to its geographical proximity to areas where extremist attacks are intensifying, Ghana is now closer to this threat than ever before.
Violence has moved closer to the borders
According to Mukhtar, terrorism in West Africa was previously largely perceived as a distant threat associated with Mali and other countries in the region. The situation changed significantly after extremist violence spread in Burkina Faso.
He noted that there was no terrorism in Burkina Faso before 2014, whereas attacks now occur closer to Ghana's borders. The head of WACCE also drew attention to the movement of people leaving Burkina Faso and other areas affected by instability. In his view, Ghana should take this factor into account when assessing security risks.
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Internal vulnerability factors
WACCE believes that geographical proximity to areas of violence is only part of the problem. Among internal vulnerabilities, Mukhtar named widespread youth unemployment, economic insecurity, protracted conflicts, disputes over traditional leadership, and ethnic tensions. According to him, extremist groups may exploit such problems.
The centre called on Ghanaian authorities to invest more in supporting young people and to strengthen community-based approaches to preventing and countering violent extremism. WACCE said that addressing unemployment and local conflicts would help strengthen the resilience of communities that may be vulnerable to recruitment or influence by extremists.
The article also mentions that the Global Terrorism Index 2025 named the Sahel the global epicentre of terrorism: the region accounts for more than half of terrorism-related deaths worldwide.
