As West Africa faces a surge in violent extremism and political instability, a new frontline of defense is emerging: a unified network of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) spanning three nations. At STAR-Ghana Foundation’s 7th Northern Ghana Security Dialogue, the Cross-Border CSO Security Forum took centre stage, signalling a shift from purely military responses toward community-led, human-centered security.

The forum brought together diverse stakeholders, including traditional leaders, senators, security personnel and government officials to recognize that security is not just the responsibility of those in uniform. Participants from Ghana, Togo, and Burkina Faso emphasized that CSOs must act as a vital bridge between local communities and state governments.

“Our challenges are shared,” noted the the Programmes Officer and Associated Consultant for Sustainable Development (ACSD) and Head of the Burkina Faso delegation, Gnoumou Nikiegnounou.

This sentiment was echoed by the Senator and coordinator of Reseau des femmes pour le developpement au Togo (REFED-Togo) and head of the Togo delegation, Comfort Kabissa Issoyotou, who called for border security information sharing among relevant state and non-state actors to effectively deal with border security challenges. 

The Francophone delegation also identified critical gaps in the current security framework, including: Low confidence in formal institutions and information sources, an urgent need for development-focused interventions rather than just “boots on the ground”, and poor coordination between security agencies and the border communities they protect.

Women: The Unused Power of Peace

A central theme of the forum was the move from “tokenism” to true leadership for women in peace processes. While women are disproportionately affected by conflict as caregivers and displaced persons, they remain largely excluded from high-level decision-making at the UN, AU, and ECOWAS levels.

The dialogue highlighted a compelling case for change: research shows that peace agreements involving women are 35% more likely to last. Under the SURE project, “Women Peace Circles” are already making an impact by: Strengthening grassroots mediation mechanisms, providing early warning information on emerging conflicts, and serving as trusted figures (such as Queen Mothers and market women) to promote community social cohesion.

Recommendations for a Safer Sub-Region

To combat radicalization and marginalization, the forum proposed a radical expansion of who is considered a “security actor”. Key recommendations include:

• Redefining Stakeholders: Integrating non-traditional actors like butchers, transport operators, and migrants into security discussions.
• Socio-Economic Shield: Creating vocational training and entrepreneurship opportunities for youth to prevent radicalization.
• Localized Mediation: Prioritizing local structures as the first option for conflict resolution before seeking neutral or foreign mediators.
• Joint Operations: Implementing joint cross-border patrols and fully enforcing existing regional security agreements.

The Security Dialogue and CSO’s forum is under the FCDO funded Strengthening Systems for Resilience Against Extremism (SURE) project implemented by STAR-Ghana Foundation and other consortium partners. It concluded with a call for stronger political commitment to ensure these community-driven insights aren’t just discussed but are fully integrated into national legislative frameworks. By fostering inter-ethnic cohesion and social integration, CSOs in Ghana, Togo, and Burkina Faso are proving that true resilience starts at the community level.