A 10-day course on Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism has begun in Accra. The course is a collaboration between the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) and the African Centre for the Study and Research on Terrorism, with support from the GIZ, and it is aimed at building individual skills to enhance the capacity and effectiveness of personnel of the United Nations, African Union, Regional and National Security and Intelligence Institutions to prevent and counter violent extremism.
The course which has brought together international facilitators of high-caliber, have been specially designed to equip participants with the knowledge and skills to address the root causes of violent extremism and how to prevent and counter extremism.
Speaking at the opening ceremony on Monday, December 11, 2017, Mr. Ambrose Dery, Minister for the Interior indicated that violent extremism and terrorism poses not just security threat but also as developmental threat to the African continent.
“The menace of violent extremism is undermining peace and security in Africa, and has been an impediment to sustainable development on the continent.” He said.
He has thus commended the organisers of the course and encouraged participants to take make the most out of the training.
“By the end of this course, it is envisaged that you will fully understand and grasp the importance of information management, Intelligence, Investigation and Surveillance and review the existing legal instruments, frameworks and practices for both Terrorism and Violent Extremism at all levels, with the purpose of identifying gaps, and highlighting the good practices across the Continent” Mr. Dery said.
The participants who been carefully chosen from across the African continent for this course are expected to explore practical solutions to the challenge at hand.
It is also to guide them to explain the causes, processes and issues of religious radicalisation, assess and classify the various perspectives of Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism in Africa.
Additionally, the course would help participants to identify the roles of respective actors at the national, regional and international levels in preventing and countering violent extremism, and set out a priority list of action for key actors.
Mr. Dery hinted that, participants would also be tested with a carefully developed practical exercise to ensure the knowledge and skills they acquire from the course can be applied.
In all, 42 participants would benefit from the training which began on December 11, 2017 and ends on December 22, 2017.
