Terrorism and Violent Extremism: HCRRUN Calls on Local Peace Committees to Play Their Part

Terrorist acts and violent extremism have plagued West African states for a decade. The Sahel countries are severely impacted by this phenomenon, which causes mourning and spreads fear among populations. Togo has recently faced these security threats in the far north of the country and has taken urgent measures to stem the phenomenon. This involves, among other things, collaboration and capacity building for civil society entities in community awareness strategies.

To this end, the High Commission for Reconciliation and National Unity (HCRRUN), in its role of consolidating peaceful coexistence, initiated a capacity-building session for Local Peace Committees (LPCs) in the Savanes region. This meeting, held on Tuesday, February 14, 2023, in Lomé, brought together some forty participants on the “techniques for listening to communities facing violent extremism and combating the phenomenon.” As a forum for exchange, this session helped educate LPC members from the Savanes region on concepts for understanding the evolution of the persistent issue of violent extremism that disrupts people’s lives. Participants received tools on the fundamentals for a more peaceful community life, key messages to convey, and behaviors to adopt for a unifying social environment, capable of protecting the country from these excesses.

Listening Techniques to Prevent Conflicts

During the proceedings, three presentations captivated the participants. These presentations informed and raised the awareness of the LPCs about the evolution of the phenomenon over time and space, enabling them to assess the consequences and contribute to curbing the problem in the Togolese context. Also, given that extremist groups aim to spread a culture of violence based on sectarianism and identity withdrawal, the presentations focused on listening techniques to prevent conflicts and, above all, to help victimized communities overcome trauma.

In her opening remarks, the President of HCRRUN, Ms. Awa Nana-Daboya, commended the commitment of the Head of State and the government to do everything possible to overcome this phenomenon. She indicated that by prioritizing LPCs as the target group for this capacity-building session, her institution intends to enable these structures to infuse their actions with a new dynamic, in line with the fight waged by the Togolese state against violent extremism.

Gen. Damehame Yark, Minister of Security and Civil Protection, for his part, welcomed the proactive and monitoring actions that the State has implemented, notably economic and social development projects in the region and the policy of reforming the Defense and Security Forces (FDS) in 2014. This materialized with the establishment of Operation Koundjouare in 2018 and the creation in 2019 of the Interministerial Committee for the Prevention and Fight Against Violent Extremism (CIPLEV). He stated that, unexpectedly, lawless armed groups are attacking the Savanes region, causing deaths. He also expressed his gratitude to HCRRUN for this initiative.