Peace and security professionals across Africa have been urged to move beyond analysing conflicts and work more closely with communities and policymakers to develop practical solutions to the continent’s growing security challenges.
The Deputy Commandant of the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), Brigadier General Lawrence Deku, said Africa’s changing security landscape demanded stronger collaboration among experts, governments, traditional authorities, religious organisations and local communities.
He made the call in a speech read on his behalf at the General Assembly and Induction Ceremony of the Association of Conflict, Peace and Security Experts in Africa (ACPSEA) in Accra.
The ceremony was held on the theme, “From Conflict to Cooperation: Enhancing Peace, Security and Sustainable Development in Africa.”
Brig. Gen. Deku said Africa was confronted by increasingly complex threats, including food insecurity, political instability, maritime insecurity and violent extremism, making it necessary for professionals from different disciplines to pool their expertise.
He said security responses could no longer rely solely on traditional institutions or isolated interventions, stressing that local communities possessed valuable knowledge and should be actively involved in finding solutions to security challenges.
“We need to move from knowledge production to knowledge utilisation, from individual expertise to collective intelligence, and from isolated interventions to collaborative problem solving,” he said.
He urged peace and security experts to reposition themselves as partners in developing and implementing solutions rather than merely diagnosing Africa’s problems.
Brig. Gen. Deku also encouraged members of ACPSEA to use their expertise to influence policies and decisions that could promote lasting peace and sustainable development.
He said stronger relationships, institutions, knowledge-sharing platforms and partnerships were needed to make effective cooperation possible.
Call for Early Action on Conflicts
Founder and President of ACPSEA, Mr Isaac Asare, also called for a shift from reactive conflict management to preventive peacebuilding.
He said early warning systems would have limited impact if authorities failed to act promptly on information indicating the possibility of conflict.
“Early warnings must lead to early actions,” he said, urging greater use of mediation, dialogue and other non-adversarial mechanisms to resolve disputes before they escalate.
Mr Asare said peacebuilding should be treated as a sustained investment rather than an intervention introduced only after violence had erupted.
He said ACPSEA intended to establish a continental network of professionals capable of supporting peacebuilding initiatives and contributing to the prevention and resolution of conflicts across Africa.
He urged members to uphold professional standards and actively support programmes aligned with the Association’s objectives.
Experts Call for Professional Standards
Rear Admiral Geoffrey Mawuli Biekro (Rtd) urged ACPSEA to establish strong partnerships with policymakers to ensure that its expertise remained relevant to the continent’s changing security environment.
He also called for mentorship programmes and the development of standards for the training and certification of professionals working in peace and security.
Country Coordinator of ACPSEA, Madam Kazia Kenneth Azumah, urged young people, communities and organisations to reject violence and adopt dialogue as the preferred means of resolving disputes.
A total of 77 professionals from Ghana and other African countries were inducted into the Association.
The inductees comprised 42 Members, 24 Fellows and 11 Honorary Fellows.
Launched on March 10, 2026, ACPSEA brings together professionals and stakeholders from academia, security institutions, policy organisations, civil society and dispute resolution institutions.
The Association seeks to promote professionalism, knowledge exchange and collaborative action in conflict management, dispute resolution, peacebuilding and security studies.
