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Interior Minister calls for amplified Women’s voices in West African Peace-Building
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Speaking at the Conflict Prevention and Sustainable Peace Forum at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre in Accra, the Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohamed-Mubarak, called for amplifying women’s voices in peace-building in West Africa.
Emphasising the crucial role of women in promoting peace and stability in West Africa, the Minister stated, ‘We must amplify women’s voices in peace building, governance and democratic transitions.’
He highlighted Ghana’s significant strides in promoting women’s leadership, including the appointment of the country’s first female Vice President in 2025 and the passage of the Affirmative Action, Gender Equality Act, 2024, which mandates a minimum 40% female representation in public appointments, a move that underscores Ghana’s commitment to inclusive governance.
Mubarak Muntaka stressed that conflict prevention requires a proactive approach, vision, unity and courage.
“We must institutionalise women’s leadership in peace architecture, invest in education and youth empowerment and strengthen regional collaboration,” he urged.
He noted that West Africa faces complex security challenges, including violent extremism, insurgency, terrorism, piracy and climate-induced conflicts and emphasised the need for holistic and inclusive approaches to address these root causes.
To achieve sustainable peace, Hon. Muntaka outlined a comprehensive action plan, saying women’s leadership must be ensured in peace architecture at national, regional and local levels. He added that education and youth empowerment are crucial in tackling grievances and exclusion and that regional collaboration must be strengthened through ECOWAS protocols and joint security operations.
The Minister further added that digital literacy must be promoted to counter disinformation that fuels tensions and that inclusive dialogue must be fostered, particularly in fragile and transitional contexts and early warning systems driven by civil society and women’s groups must be prioritized.
He emphasised the importance of working together to build a region where peace is firm, democracy is credible and every voice is heard and valued. He commended the Australian High Commission in Ghana and the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre for collaborating on the timely and critical programme.
The Australian High Commissioner to Ghana, Her Excellency Berenice Owen-Jones, emphasizes the importance of reforming peace-building architecture, stressing that peace must be built on justice and gender equality, which the Commission actively champions.
The forum reflects the shared commitment of Ghana and international partners to promoting peace, stability and inclusive governance in West Africa.
It provides an opportunity to interrogate not only regional peace and security architecture but also to emphasise the often-overlooked role of women as active agents in conflict prevention and democratic consolidation.
Construction of a major underground stormwater drain along the Dr. Busia Highway within the Kaneshie enclave will commence on September 7, 2026.
The Project Coordinator for the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development (GARID) Project, Dr. Kwadwo Ohene Sarfo, announced this at a special media briefing on Wednesday.
According to him, the works will involve the construction of a double-cell underground rectangular drain measuring approximately 10 metres wide and 1.95 kilometres long, stretching from Pamprom Junction to First Light Junction.
The new drain will replace the existing two 1.2-metre diameter pipes, which are inadequate to carry the volume of stormwater in the area.
Dr. Sarfo said the drain will connect at one end to the recently completed section within the Accra Academy campus and at the other end to the existing drain at Pamprom Junction.
He said the construction is expected to run from September 2026 to October 2027.
The project forms part of government’s broader flood prevention and mitigation programme aimed at addressing perennial flooding in Accra.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The former Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has withdrawn from the party’s National Chairmanship race.
In a statement issued yesterday, Chairman Wontumi who is currently serving a 20-year jail term said his decision was driven by his love for the party and his unwillingness to let his personal circumstances distract the NPP from its rebuilding efforts.
“There are moments in the life of a man when the heart wants to continue, but duty demands sacrifice. Moments when one must quietly set aside personal ambition, not because the dream has died, but because the family he loves must not be made to carry his burden. Today, I find myself at such a painful moment,” he wrote.
He disclosed that after many nights of prayer, sober reflection and consultations with his family, legal team, party elders, campaign team and trusted supporters, he concluded that his present situation must not become an additional burden on the NPP.
“This is not the decision my heart desired, but sometimes, true love requires us to release what we deeply want in order to protect what we love even more,” he added.
Recounting his years of service, Chairman Wontumi said he had served the party with everything within him, walking through heat and rain, travelling to remote communities and standing with the grassroots in both victory and defeat.
“For many years, I have served the NPP with everything within me… The NPP is not merely a political party to me. It is my family. It is my home. It is a cause to which I have dedicated a significant part of my life,” he stated.
He explained that the party, already carrying the pain of electoral defeat and the huge responsibility of preparing for the future, should not be made to carry his personal weight.
“That is why I cannot allow my present situation or personal ambition to distract the party from the difficult work of rebuilding. I cannot ask the party to carry my weight when it is already carrying the pain of defeat and the enormous responsibility of preparing for the battle ahead. I would rather carry this pain quietly than allow the party I love to suffer because of me,” he said.
He further sympathized with his supporters across the 16 regions, acknowledging that the decision would be painful for many who had sacrificed for his campaign.
“To my teeming supporters across all sixteen regions, I know this message will hurt. I know many of you will read it with tears in your eyes because I understand the sacrifices you have made for this journey,” he said.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
