CRS Engages Security Actors in Savannah Region 

By Regina Atule

Damongo, April 15 –  The Catholic Relief Service (CRS) in collaboration with the National Peace Council with funding from the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs has held a two-day training for actors in the security sector in the Savannah Region on Responsibility to Protect (R2P).

It was aimed at protecting civillians during conflicts, as well as to build the capacity of security sector actors to enhance service delivery, strengthen relationships, and foster trust between the security services and civilians and prevent violent extremism.

The training brought together 30 security personnel drawn from the Ghana Armed Forces, Police Service, Immigration Service, Fire Service , Prisons Service and the National Intelligence Bureau.

The R2P training for security sector actors was part of a series of activities being implemented by CRS under its Prevention of Violent Extremism through Social Accountability (PoVETSA) project.

Adelaide Yiriyelleh, Manager, PoVETSA project at CRS, said the overall goal of the project was to improve civilian-security trust relations in the country towards the prevention of violent extremism.

She said the training was being carried out in six regions including the Upper West, Upper East, North East, Northern, Savannah and Greater Accra.

Leviel George Dery, Programmes Manager, Savannah Regional Peace Council said various threats imperiled the peace and development of the region.

He mentioned the farmer-herder conflict saying it was affecting social cohesion and peaceful coexistence, agricultural activities and general development of the region.

He cited chieftaincy, ethnic, land and other natural resource conflicts as also threatening the peace and security of the region adding the growing spread of violent extremism in the subregion exacerbated these vulnerabilities underscoring the need for a collective and collaborative effort to safeguard the peace and security of the country.