West African countries must deepen cooperation and coordination to combat the growing threat of transnational organised crime and strengthen security across the sub-region, the Minister for the Interior, Mr Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, has said.
He said stronger collaboration was also needed to improve border management and ensure safe, orderly and regular migration across the sub-region.
Mr Muntaka said coordinated efforts, improved infrastructure and adequate logistics were essential to addressing shared security and migration challenges and building resilience in border communities.
The Minister made the call in Accra yesterday in a speech read on his behalf by the Director of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), Ms Freda Agyei Asare, at the opening of a two-day regional workshop on cross-border cooperation frameworks.
The workshop is being organised under the European Union (EU)-funded Strengthening and Harmonising Integrated Border Management Frameworks and Technical Expertise in West Africa (SHIFT) project, implemented by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD).
Ms Asare said although countries in the sub-region had legal and policy frameworks governing their borders, stronger bilateral and multilateral cooperation was needed to achieve better results.
She said the workshop provided an opportunity for representatives from Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Togo to share experiences, identify common priorities and adopt best practices in border management.
Ms Asare urged participants to ensure that the discussions translated into practical actions that would strengthen peace, security and resilience in border communities.
She also stressed the need for partnerships aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals and the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.
The Head of the ICMPD, Ms Monica Zanette, called for sustained dialogue, trust and coordination among West African countries to strengthen cross-border cooperation and border management.
She said effective integrated border management required cooperation within institutions, among agencies and across countries to secure borders while facilitating legitimate movement, trade and regional integration.
The Deputy Ambassador of the EU Delegation to Ghana, Mr Jonas Claes, also called for stronger cooperation among West African countries to combat transnational organised crime and improve border security.
He said effective border management was essential to tackling human trafficking, illicit arms and drug trafficking and other criminal activities.
Mr Claes said the €7 million SHIFT project would complement national efforts to strengthen border management and promote regional integration.
He urged security agencies and participating countries to improve coordination, strengthen information sharing and facilitate legitimate trade and movement.
The Deputy Comptroller-General of Operations and Command Post of the GIS, Mr Faisal Disu, who spoke on behalf of the Comptroller-General, also stressed the importance of coordinated border management in addressing emerging security threats.
He said stronger collaboration among participating countries was essential to combating terrorism, violent extremism and transnational organised crime while facilitating legitimate cross-border movement and economic growth.
Mr Disu urged countries participating in the SHIFT project to deepen cooperation and strengthen mechanisms for joint action in managing their borders.
BY EUGENE KWAME AMPIAW
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