Peace Council urges Naaga residents to report extremist activities

The National Peace Council has called upon residents of Naaga, located in the Kassena-Nankana Municipality, to stay vigilant and report any suspicious individuals or activities to the relevant security authorities in order to prevent violent extremist groups from establishing a presence within their community. Damien Asobayire, the Upper East Regional Executive Secretary of the National Peace Council, emphasized that these extremist groups are increasingly leveraging online platforms to disseminate extremist ideology, hate speech, misinformation, and disinformation for the purpose of influencing and manipulating communities.

He stressed that the threat of violent extremism extends beyond the physical presence of extremist groups, as their messages can reach communities through social media and other online platforms.

Asobayire delivered this message during a community sensitization program in Naaga aimed at educating residents about online violent extremist narratives and hate speech. This event is part of the third-quarter activities of the Atlantic Corridor Project titled "Preventing and Responding to Violent Extremism," which is funded by the governments of Denmark and Norway through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The sensitization session took place following the training of members of the Naaga Local Peace Committee, with the aim of familiarizing them with the community and strengthening early warning mechanisms. Asobayire encouraged residents to act as watchdogs, reporting any early warning signs to the members of the Local Peace Committee and the appropriate security agencies.

He advised residents to be on the lookout for factors and conflict triggers that might make their communities susceptible to violent extremist groups, as these groups can exploit existing grievances and social tensions while employing online platforms to spread narratives that promote hatred and division.

The program aimed to engage approximately 100 residents but ended up with 115 participants, the majority of whom were women and youth. During the session, participants were provided with practical guidance on identifying suspicious activities and reporting them. Teni Ayarika, a participant, expressed gratitude to the Peace Council, stating that the training had clarified the ways in which violent extremism can infiltrate young people through social media and highlighted the importance of verifying information before sharing it.

"This training is very helpful because I have learned a lot about how violent narratives can fuel conflict and how vulnerable youth can be recruited by violent extremist networks via online platforms," Ayarika remarked. Afia Nchor, another participant, noted that the training had reoriented residents of the community to remain vigilant and praised the efforts of the Peace Council in promoting peace within the community.