Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mubarak, has welcomed Intelligence Chiefs and senior security officials from across West Africa and the Sahel to a High-Level Consultation Conference on Regional Cooperation and Security in Accra.
The conference is focused on strengthening collaboration to confront growing threats including terrorism, violent extremism, piracy, and transnational organised crime.
In his opening remarks, the Minister highlighted the unprecedented complexity of the security challenges facing the region. He noted the intensification of terrorism and violent extremism in the Central Sahel, where affiliates of Sahara-based groups and other armed actors exploit governance gaps, intercommunal tensions, economic hardship, and climate-related pressures.
Mr. Mubarak further emphasized that these threats are deeply linked to structural vulnerabilities such as climate-induced resource scarcity, youth unemployment, weak border management, and eroding social cohesion. He acknowledged that transnational crimes including illegal migration, smuggling, drug trafficking, and cybercrime continue to place significant pressure on Ghana, though intelligence-led operations have achieved notable successes.
Calling for candid and innovative deliberations, the Interior Minister urged Intelligence Chiefs to ground their recommendations in real-time threat assessments. He stressed the importance of building trust, strengthening coordination, promoting local ownership, avoiding duplication, and leveraging existing regional mechanisms.
“Our solutions must be practical, sustainable, and responsive to the needs of citizens, particularly those in frontier communities,” he said.
The outcomes of the conference are expected to shape regional strategies aimed at enhancing security cooperation and resilience across West Africa and the Sahel.
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