Ghana has made remarkable progress in democratic governance over the years. While the state has made improvement in relative democratic development and political stability, emerging security threats threaten the national peace, stable and democratic development of the state. This study sought to unravel the emerging security threats in Ghana which will enable and help the appropriate authorities in policy and decision making. Information from reports, website, textbooks, journals and other important documents was used. The study extablished that, emerging security threats such as chieftaincy, farmer-herder conflict, succession agitations, drug trafficking, electoral violence, vigilantism, terrorism, extremism, environmental security, kidnappings, among others have intensified the security alarms in the country. These emerging security threats undermine the stable and democratic development of the state. The study therefore recommended that: the government of Ghana must increase and enhance the number of check points in the country. The government of Ghana must also recruit more border patrol officers especially in the Ghana Immigration Service to patrol and secure the country’s borders and man all porous unapproved routes in the country. Moreover, the government of Ghana must provide appropriate weapons, equipment, tools and technology that will facilitate border management and increase intelligence sharing among appropriate security agencies in the country.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. The Concept of Security
3. Brief History and Overview of Ghana’s Security System
4. Emerging security Threats in Ghana
4.1 Farmer-Herder Conflict in Ghana
4.2 Environmental Security in Ghana
4.3 The Western Togoland Agitation
4.4 Chieftaincy dispute
4.5 Electoral Violence in Ghana
4.6 Political Vigilantism in Ghana
4.7 Terrorism
4.8 Drug Trafficking
4.9 Kidnapping
4.10 Corruption in Ghana
4.11 The issue of Cybercrime in Ghana
4.12 Crime in Ghana
5. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Core Themes
This study aims to identify and analyze the evolving security challenges facing Ghana, examining their impact on national peace and democratic stability to provide a foundation for informed policy decision-making.
- The evolution of the concept of security from military-focused statecraft to human-centric stability.
- Criminal activities, including drug trafficking, kidnapping, and cybercrime, as domestic security threats.
- Political stressors such as electoral violence, vigilantism, and the Western Togoland secession movement.
- Environmental insecurity, specifically the impact of illegal small-scale gold mining (galamsey) and plastic waste management.
- Institutional challenges within the chieftaincy and governance structures affecting social order.
Excerpt from the Book
4.1 Farmer-Herder Conflict in Ghana
Farmer-herder conflict continues to threaten human security in the Ghana. In Ghana, transnational land transactions have triggered conflicts among farmers and Fulani herders or pastoralists, leading to potential loss of arable land by smallholders (Nibelli, 2019:12). Notwithstanding the advantage of customary land institutions to regulate to changing conditions, they have failed to deal absolutely with land tenure insecurity in Africa and to reconcile the multiplicity of overlapping rights and interests especially between crop producers and pastoralists. It is believed that the nature of the prevailing customary land tenure system in Ghana has aggravated land tenure insecurity experienced all over the country (Nibelli, 2019:12).
This complementarity between farmers and Fulani herders has broken due to the increase in population in Africa and the continuous allocation of land and labour between crop producers and cattle herders (Nibelli, 2019:12). This broken relationship has tended to increase resource conflicts among herders and crop farmers in the country. Ghana recorded nine incidents of violent farmer-herder clashes in 2018 in the Bono, Ahafo, Ashanti, Northern and Eastern Regions resulting in injury and loss of lives, cattle, and the destruction of crops and properties (WANEP, 2019:10).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Outlines the necessity of security for democratic development and identifies key challenges like cyber fraud and political vigilantism.
2. The Concept of Security: Discusses the transition from traditional military-centered definitions of security to more contemporary, multidimensional understandings.
3. Brief History and Overview of Ghana’s Security System: Examines the origins of Ghanaian security agencies and the current structure of the National Security Council.
4. Emerging security Threats in Ghana: Provides a comprehensive analysis of diverse threats including farmer-herder conflict, illegal mining, terrorism, and electoral violence.
5. Conclusion: Summarizes the study’s findings and recommends specific policy improvements, such as enhanced border control and increased intelligence sharing.
Keywords
Ghana, National Security, Human Security, Electoral Violence, Political Vigilantism, Chieftaincy Disputes, Terrorism, Kidnapping, Drug Trafficking, Cybercrime, Environmental Security, Galamsey, Border Management, Democratic Stability, Public Order
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary objective of this work?
The work seeks to identify and examine the emerging security threats in Ghana to increase national security awareness and assist policymakers in maintaining democratic stability.
What are the central themes discussed in the text?
The text covers a broad spectrum of threats, including internal criminal activities, political unrest, environmental degradation, and external extremist pressures.
What methodology is employed to analyze these threats?
The study utilizes secondary data, including reports, journals, textbooks, and official documents, to synthesize the current state of security in Ghana.
Which specific groups are highlighted in the context of farmer-herder conflicts?
The text focuses on the tension between local crop farmers and Fulani herders due to land tenure insecurity and population growth.
How does the author define the impact of political vigilantism?
The author identifies political vigilantism as a significant threat that undermines state stability by providing personal security for political parties and perpetrating violence during electoral periods.
What is the core argument regarding "Galamsey"?
The text argues that illegal small-scale mining (Galamsey) is a dual threat that destroys environmental resources and creates economic instability for youth, which in turn leads to further criminal activity.
What role does the Western Togoland agitation play in national security?
It acts as a secessionist threat that exploits porous borders and political instability, potentially facilitating the movement of illicit arms and mercenaries.
How are foreign migrants from Burkina Faso linked to current security concerns?
The influx of migrants fleeing extremist attacks has created social tensions over limited resources, and in some instances, has been associated with attempts to introduce violence into the country.
- Quote paper
- Caeser Nibelli (Author), 2021, Emerging Security Threats in Ghana, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1119920
