Upper East Regional Peace Council hosts capacity building workshop for cross-border traders

The Upper East Regional Peace Council has organized a two-day capacity-building workshop aimed at equipping women and youth involved in cross-border trade with knowledge on preventing violent extremism and safeguarding their communities.

The workshop, held in Zebilla, engaged 240 young men and women from four districts in the Upper East Region who are involved in cross-border trading. The initiative focused on raising awareness about the risks of terrorism and conflict-related activities, as well as the role participants can play in reporting suspicious behavior to security agencies.

David Angaamba, Principal Program Manager of the Upper East Regional Peace Council, highlighted that youth and women are the primary focus of the workshop. "They need to understand the consequences of violent extremism and how to prevent it, so they can report potential threats to security agencies promptly," he explained.

He emphasized that the workshop targeted traders across various sectors, including grains, vegetables, meat, hairdressing, and carpentry, who regularly cross borders to conduct business. "Fumbisi, Navrongo, Paga, and Zebilla are key market areas, with Paga and Zebilla being border towns. These characteristics make them focal points for this initiative," Mr. Angaamba added.

Each of the four centers will train 60 individuals engaged in cross-border trade, enabling them to support their communities by identifying and reporting suspicious activities related to violent extremism.

The project, which is sponsored by the governments of Germany, Norway, and Australia, covers four coastal countries—Ghana, Togo, Côte d'Ivoire, and Benin—due to the rising security concerns in these regions.