West Africa Centre for Counter-Extremism

15/09/2026

WACCE hosted a memorial dialogue to commemorate the tragic events of September 11, 2001—when the world experienced the deadliest terrorist attacks in modern history. On this day, operatives from al-Qaeda hijacked four passenger planes, crashing them into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, resulting in the loss of nearly 3,000 lives.
Among the victims were two Ghanaians and two Ghanaian-Americans. The attacks unleashed an unprecedented wave of shock, fear, and uncertainty, leading to the initiation of the Global War on Terror that would irrevocably shape global security landscape.

25 years later, not only has terrorism shifted to West Africa's Sahel region, but the region has also become the epicenter of global terrorism.
Many lessons have been learnt. As we confront the rising vulnerabilities stemming from local conflicts, poverty, marginalization, prolonged unemployment, and governance deficits, it is crucial to recognize that we cannot succeed against terrorism without a addressing youth vulnerabilities.


#9/11

09/09/2026

On September 11, 2001, nearly 3,000 lives were tragically lost, igniting a global war on terror that would forever change global security. Now, 25 years later, West Africa, hitherto, untouched by terrorism has tragically emerged as the new epicenter for terrorist violence.

What lessons can Ghana learn? And how can Ghana together with Coastal West Africa act to prevent a spill over?

Join us on Friday at our office at No. C419, Goodwill Road, Kokomlemle, Accra.
Date: Friday September 11, 2026.
Time: 5:30pm to 7:30pm
Tel: 0302 200799 / 0505837185 (WhatsApp).

25/08/2026

Mutaru Mumuni Calls on West African Leaders to Tackle Youth Vulnerabilities

Executive Director of WACCE, Mutaru Mumuni Muqthar, has called on West African leaders to do more on governance to address the vulnerabilities that lead youth to engage in terrorism. Young people are the biggest victims of violent extremism with nearly 4,000 people dying in the Sahel in 2025 alone. Although fatality numbers have fallen, sub-Saharan Africa remains the epicentre of global terrorism, accounting for about 3,885 terrorism fatalities in 2025.

Mr. Muqthar was speaking on Friday in Accra as Guest Speaker at the 3rd Nyansa Dialogue Series organized by the Nyansa Institute for Strategic Dialogue, an independent think tank dedicated to advancing policy dialogue, governance, security, and economic transformation across Africa.
He explained that the overwhelming terrorist violence created the opportunities for coups with more 11 coups and attempted coups within 2 years, resulting in a regional disintegration. These events resulted in the withdrawal of 3 countries from ECOWAS and the formation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).
What is happening in West Africa is not by accident. Mr. Mutaru Mumuni Muqthar argued that what is happening in the region is a manifestation of the anguish and frustrations of vulnerable youth who have lost faith in their state, and its (state) capacity to provide them the entitlements of citizenship. The youth unemployment, marginalization, exclusion, inequality and corruption continue to fuel youth frustrations and serve as vulnerabilities for exploitation by extremist groups. ''There is a growing epidemic of drugs usage by young people. It is highly pervasive and constitutes one of the most dangerous crises destroying the future of young people''.
Mr. Muqthar explained that the instability is impacting not only on lives of young people. Instability and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) are inversely related (adversely), and that the terrorist violence in West Africa increases the risk profile of the region including Ghana and renders the domestic economy risky and unattractive to investors.

Nyansa Dialogue Series

19/08/2026

Russia-Ukraine War: 62 Ghanaians Killed, 15 Missing.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has revealed that 62 Ghanaian citizens have been killed, while another 15 remain missing, due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

According to Mr Ablakwa, young people desirous of seeking greener pastures were promised employment opportunities but eventually found themselves involved in the Russia-Ukraine war.
Mr. Ablakwa made the shocking disclosure during a joint press conference in Moscow following bilateral talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.

Mr Ablakwa noted that a key issue raised during the bilateral talks was the need to stop the alleged illegal recruitment of Ghanaian citizens who are lured to Russia and subsequently enlisted to participate in military operations.

“Unfortunately, the number of Ghanaian deaths in Russia has gone up. 62 Ghanaians have now died, and 15 who travelled to Russia remain missing.

12/08/2026

CAN WOMEN CHANGE THE TRAJECTORY OF VIOLENT EXTREMISM?

Violent extremism continues to pose a significant threat to peace, security, and sustainable development across West Africa. While conventional responses have largely focused on kinetic and law enforcement measures, there is growing recognition that effective prevention requires inclusive, community-driven approaches that address the root causes of violent extremism.

Women play a critical role in this quest. As peacebuilders, community leaders, educators, mediators, and advocates, women contribute significantly to strengthening social cohesion, building community resilience, promoting dialogue, and preventing the conditions that enable violent extremism to take root. However, women's roles in peace and security matters remain largely unrepresented in most parts of the sub-region. They hardly take part in security matters, meanwhile women, in most cases, are the drivers of early warning signals.

Through its inaugural Webinar edition, WACCE will engage women from diverse professions about issues on violent extremism and the role women play in Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (P/CVE).

This webinar will explore the strategic role of women as leaders, peacebuilders, and agents of prevention while examining how the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda can strengthen efforts to prevent violent extremism across West Africa. The discussion will bring together policymakers, practitioners, researchers, civil society organizations, development partners, security professionals, students, the youth, women and girls, and other stakeholders to exchange knowledge, share practical experiences, and identify collaborative approaches to advancing inclusive peace and security.

We invite all individuals and organizations committed to advancing peace, security, gender equality, and community resilience to join this important regional conversation.

Registration Link
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/DSgsmi3OT_ie3NMRTLHTgA

Date and time
Aug 19, 2026 10:00

29/05/2026

Dialogue is the most formidable foundation for effective peacebuilding. 89% of current conflicts are occurring in countries where dialogue is failing - GPI 2026.

27/05/2026

Eid Mubarak to you all!

11/05/2026

Whilst deaths from terrorism declined by 28%, West Africa remains the most impacted. In 2025, about 70 per cent of deaths from terrorism occurred in only five countries: Pakistan, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Niger, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Six of the ten countries most impacted by terrorism are in sub-Saharan Africa.

This requires greater commitment of regional partners to do more to address the drivers of the violence.

- WACCE

01/05/2026

26/04/2026

Mali’s Defence Minister Sadio Camara Killed During Coordinated Terrorist Attacks.

Mali’s Defence Minister, General Sadio Camara, has been killed during coordinated attacks on military sites in various parts of the country. Earlier on Saturday, his residence in the garrison town of Kati came under attack during simultaneous attacks by an al-Qaeda affiliate and Tuareg rebels. This is the largest coordinated attacks in years with profound implications for Mali's counter terrorism planning.
In April 2026, ISWAP and Boko Haram terrorists killed Nigerian Army Brigadier-General Oseni Omoh Braimah and several soldiers in a coordinated midnight attack on a military base in Benisheikh, Borno State.
Five years ago in 2021, Chadian President Idriss Deby, was killed by the rebel group, Front for Change and Concord in Chad, while he was commanding troops against the rebel forces, just a day after winning a sixth term in office.
These incidents highlight the complexity and the cost of the fight against terrorism in West Africa. For nearly two decades, the region has struggled to contain terrorism at a very high cost. The current reality requires recalibrating regional efforts through an ECOWAS and other mechanisms to address the challenge by tackling the drivers of radicalization in security.