Dr Kingsley Nyarko, the Member of Parliament for Kwadaso, has stated that although forceful conflicts seem to be declining in the West Africa sub-region, recent insurgencies in the Sahel region affecting Mali, Niger, Mauritania and Burkina Faso and low-intensity conflicts surging in stable countries such as Nigeria and Senegal present fearsome signals of the possible re-surfacing of internal and regional destructive conflicts.
He has stated that these conflicts are often hinged on several interlinked factors including poverty and disease, poor governance and corruption, human rights violations, ethnic marginalization and small arms proliferation (Aning & Bah, 2009; Annan 2014; Ewalefoh 2020, Walker 2012).
“Mr Speaker, the literature points to poor understanding of the fundamental sources of violent conflicts in West Africa, hence civil strife would probably continue to promote the experience and suffering of destructive wars in West Africa. However, some of these contemporary destructive threats are essentially old issues with new labels involving the challenges of exclusion, marginalization, corruption, clientelism, etc., rendering erstwhile military dictators susceptible to internal contestations over their legitimacy (Darkwa & Attuquayefio, 2014). Mr Speaker, actors including the ECOWAS, civil society and the international community continue to make significant efforts, but destructive conflicts remain a problem in the sub-region with their resolution most often than not protracted,” the MP has stated.
Dr Kingsley Nyarko said this when he delivered a statement on Ghana’s presence on the United Nations Security Council and its prospects in promoting peace and security within the sub-region in parliament yesterday.
On January 4, 2022, Ghana was admitted to the UN Security Council, confirming the West African country’s return to the group after 15 years. Ghana’s membership was marked with a flag installation ceremony alongside new members, including Albania, Brazil, Gabon, and the UAE.
Dr. Kingsley Nyarko explained that Ghana will serve a two-year term on the Council from January 2022 to December 2023, having served on the Council for the terms 1962-1963, 1986-1987, and 2006-2007. Hence this will be the fourth time Ghana will hold a non-permanent seat on the Council which leads the UN’s peace agenda for the security of member countries.
“Mr Speaker, being a member of the Security Council comes with the responsibility of actively promoting conflict prevention, reconstruction, multilateralism and international peace which is the core tenet of the United Nations peace and security agenda as well as the modern international order and the Sustainable Development Goals. Ghana’s presence must translate into deepening our peacekeeping for international peace and security, particularly in the sub-region,” he said.
He stated that Ghana has been in the process of cultivating the culture of internal peace and promoting the practice of peace with the rest of Africa and the world since colonial rule.
“Indeed, Ghana has been involved in developing and supporting early warning systems to support peace and security protocols at the regional and continental levels. Today, Ghana ranks among the top 10 contributors to UN peacekeeping, with nearly 3,000 personnel serving on eight different missions across the world (UN News, 2019). This enviable relevance and superiority of influence require our direction in promoting constructive dialogue in West Africa, Africa, and the world.
“Mr Speaker, this privilege must afford us preventive measures to enforce rule of law, respect for economic and human rights and end the impunity of political leaders who seek to amend their national constitutions or manipulate electoral laws for their political and parochial gains. Mr Speaker, it is fair to suggest that the failure of ECOWAS leadership to take proactive, measures in handling errant leaders has contributed to the recurring wave of new coups in the sub-region. Ghana must leverage on this enviable recognition and in harmony with regional treaties and other international standards promote effective democratic principles and rule of law as a prerequisite for retaining membership and in so doing advance measures to end human rights violations and abuses in several member states,” he said.
Dr. Kingsley Nyarko noted that the spate of political upheavals, intra-state conflicts, civil wars and military coups and takeovers in West Africa continue to bring many of its economies on its knees, creating humanitarian casualties, crises and concerns (Annan, 2014; Okafor 2017). Ghana’s contribution to transition countries such as Liberia, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire and Guinea- Bissau from war to democratic and constitutional rule is a testament to her overwhelming endorsement for peace and security.
“Mr Speaker, there is a rapid growth of armed groups and cross-border syndicates as well as human and drug trafficking and small arms proliferation, particularly the alarming convergence of terrorists and violent borderless extremist groups. These hybrids and evolving groups continue to exploit the weaknesses and vulnerabilities of fragile states and conflict zones to perpetuate violence and seize control of territories to challenge the legitimacy of states. The consequences of these activities are clear in a cocktail of humanitarian crises that continue to worsen the fragility of states and human security on our continent (Eze & Frimpong, 2021).
“Mr Speaker, Ghana’s presence on the Security Council is in recognition of our capacity to help address the challenges facing our world today and the prospects involve working closely with all the new and existing members of the Council to address such issues relating to extremism, terrorism, cyber threats, arms trafficking, climate change, among others. It is an attestation of our strong democratic credentials and comes at a challenging period when our sister nations are battling military coups and insurgencies. “While we preserve our stability, we must work harder to return these affected nations to a democratic path and to quell oscillatory large-scale and intra-state conflicts and insurgencies in the sub-region. With the country’s experience in conflict mediation, prevention and reconstruction, the recognition should afford us the leverage for stronger ties, complementary and sustainable actions between the United Nations, continental and other regional bodies,” he said.
He noted that at the last extraordinary virtual ECOWAS summit, held on January 28, 2022, to discuss the political situation in Burkina Faso, our President and Chairman of the bloc H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo noted the deteriorating political situation in the region and underscored that no country in the community is insulated from the occurrence hence the need to swiftly arrest the disturbance.
“The president indicated that the recent wave of coups in the region indicates some detest democracy as a mode of governance, hence the need for the bloc to “… work to convince those people that we are all safer under democracies”.
“Mr Speaker, being at the Security Council suggests that Ghana becomes the arrowhead for peace in the sub-region and must promote collective obligations for peace and stability relative to the aspirations and expectations of our citizens in the region and beyond. Mr Speaker, situations in Africa dominate the agenda of the Security Council hence the opportunity demands our lead in efforts to address the conflicts on the continent and to sustain peace and security of our people. This success repositions our high standing in the comity of nations as shown in securing the highest number of votes i.e., 185 votes out of 190 votes cast compared to the other four Member States elected.
“Mr Speaker, situations are fragile as ECOWAS appears to be disjointed in its own institutions and struggling in her quest to implement its moratorium on the importation, exportation and manufacturing of small arms into a binding convention as nation-states are unable to ensure compliance with existing arms restrictions (Annan, 2014; Danwanka, 2021). We all need to put our shoulders to the wheel and support the government to build capacities of national and cross-border institutions to consolidate peace in the areas of political and economic governance and the rule of law across Africa and within the sub-region,” he stated.
In conclusion, DR. Kingsley Nyarko stated that as we celebrate Ghana’s election onto the United Nations Security Council, and the moral and political obligations it places on us, we should also see it as a call to curb the alarming resurgence of emerging coup d’états on our continent intended to compromise our collective existence, survival and progress.
“These multiple coup d’états recently described by Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary-General as “an epidemic of coup d’états” must be nibbed in the bud with all the strength and might needed. Ghana must lead this charge; her shining example must lead the way as we ourselves continue to put in the rightful interventions and safeguards to further deepen and fortify our democratic gains. Our election onto the Security Council in these trying times is a clear testament to our peaceful coexistence and time-tested democratic credentials of about three decades,” he concluded.
