Ghana

Ghana is threatened by violent extremist attacks, particularly due to the instability in neighboring Burkina Faso. The porous borders make it easier for armed groups to infiltrate.

Ghana also experiences periodic ethnic and chieftaincy clashes, which can escalate into violence and disrupt local communities and there has been a rise in kidnapping and other violent crimes. All of which has heightened public fear and impacted the perception of safety in the country.

Illegal activities such as mining, logging, and fishing pose significant threats to environmental security, affecting livelihoods and contributing to conflicts in the country.

All of Ghana's security and stability issues are made worse by the availability of weapons. In 2023, after completing baseline assessments and identifying significant gaps in Ghana's  weapons and ammunition management capacity HALO expanded its weapons and ammunition management (WAM) work in the country.

Pursuing a regional approach across Coastal West Africa, HALO is working to secure government-held weapons, dispose of obsolete and dangerous weapons and ammunition, and build regional capacity for weapons security and management among Ghana's armed forces police and security personnel.

Ghana and the neighbours we work in are signatories to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons and are committed to preventing and combatting the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, which fuel instability and violence.