By: Rachel Kakraba
Executive Directive Director of the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding, WANEP, Mrs. Levinia Addae-Mensah, has acknowledged the contribution of the organization to peaceful transitions in West Africa. Citing the peaceful elections in Ghana and Senegal which also saw incident free transitions, she said such success presents a new sense of hope for the region as it continues to build infrastructure that promotes peace.
Mrs. Addae-Mensah, was speaking at WANEP’s 18th General Assembly in Accra. The two-day meeting held on 26th to 27th March 2025, drew participants from across the region.
WANEP played a pivotal role in promoting peaceful democratic transitions, particularly in Senegal and Ghana, during the general election, with the Election Situation Room, ESR model. Through the collaborative engagements with ECOWAS, National Electoral Commissions and Civil Society, WANEP, provided critical early warning and mediation support to prevent electoral violence.
Mrs. Addae-Mensah, mentioned that such partnership was instrumental in ensuring the gains which were made.
“We recognize the partnership with the National Peace Council and some of the other partners such as FO and the NCCE, who were all very instrumental in ensuring the gains that we got for Ghana”
Adding on, “I think the Ghana elections particularly, and Senegal also gives us a new sense of hope for the region. I think these are some of the positive dynamics that attest to the efforts that we have engaged on in terms of engaging, in terms of building infrastructures to peace and supporting local actors to become more relevant and more, and become more visible”
Mrs. Addae-Mensah, said the General Assembly is an opportunity for stakeholders to make crucial reflections on building on achievements, identifying gaps and shaping the future with the development of a five-year strategic plan.
“We have that opportunity for the crucial reflections, around how we can further build on the achievements, identify the gaps, and most importantly, shape the future of as we develop our next five years strategic plan, we must critically examine how we can position ourselves”
She reaffirmed the commitment of WANEP in strengthening governance structures, deepening partnership and ensuring Civil Society Organizations remain formidable in peace initiatives.
“As an organization within this evolving, multilateral and regional landscape, we have to reaffirm our commitment to strengthening governance structures, deepening partnerships, and ensuring that civil society remains a key actor in the region. Particularly, in terms of peace and security and frameworks over the next two days. I encourage all of us to be open and constructive in our dialogue”
She was hopeful insights generated during the conference will be instrumental in determining strategic priorities, ensuring that Civil Society Organizations remain at the forefront of peace building efforts in West Africa.
A Senior Research Fellow, Legon Center for International Affairs and Diplomacy (LECIAD), University of Ghana, Dr. Philip Attuquayefio, who delivered the keynote address, said although the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union (AU), continues to play critical role in regional governance, it is confronted with challenges in responding effectively to the evolving security and political crises that threaten stability.
“The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union (AU) continue to play central roles in regional governance, yet they face challenges in responding effectively to the evolving security and political crises that threaten stability.
He added “At the same time, recent unconstitutional changes of government, insurgencies, the effect of climate-related insecurity including displacements, and economic vulnerabilities have intensified pressures on governance and security structures, raising fundamental questions about the effectiveness of regional responses”
Dr. Attuquayefio, said CSO’s in West Africa,remain deeply embedded in communities, possessing local legitimacy and trust that often elude larger, state-centered institutions. He therefore encouraged them to retain significant and enduring strengths to better the lives of the citizenry.
“They are agile and adaptable, able to respond swiftly to emerging crises in ways that bureaucratic structures often cannot. Their ability to foster dialogue, mediate conflicts, and bridge divides between state and non-state actors makes them indispensable in both conflict prevention and post-crisis recovery”
Senior Research Fellow, Legon Center for International Affairs and Diplomacy (LECIAD), University of Ghana, Dr. Philip Attuquayefio, delivered the keynote address on the theme, “Changing Dynamics in Multilateralism and Regionalism: The Role of and Prospects for CSO’”
He said a significant shift in multilateralism has been the declining influence of Western-led international institutions and the rise of alternative frameworks. He said China, Russia, Turkey as well as other emerging powers have expanded their diplomatic and economic footprints in West Africa, providing new avenues for cooperation and also raising concerns about geopolitical competition.
“Initiatives such as China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and Russia’s increasing engagement in security cooperation with some West African states highlight this shift. These engagements have introduced new economic and military alliances that sometimes operate parallel to traditional multilateral structures”
He said for CSOs that rely on international legal frameworks and human rights mechanisms to advocate for policy change, the erosion of regional and multilateral norms also creates a significant challenge.
He urged West African states to prioritize security-driven cooperation over democratic governance as seen with the AES states.
“CSOs can be constrained in their push for accountability, transparency, and participatory governance. Additionally, as multilateral organizations become more fragmented in their approaches, there is a growing risk that regional leaders will use sovereignty arguments to resist external pressures for reforms, thereby further marginalizing CSOs from governance processes”
The Regional Board Chair, Mrs. Florence Iheme, said WANEP prioritizes the strengthening of early warning and response mechanisms.
“As the growing importance of conflict prevention and the strategic use of early warning data for preventive diplomacy gained momentum, WANEP continued to play a leading role in supporting the operationalization of early warning systems at both ECOWAS and AU levels”
She mentioned that women and youth remain central to WANEP’s peacebuilding efforts.
“The organization continued to champion the women, peace and security agenda, empowering women to take active roles in conflict resolution and decision making”
Mrs. Iheme, said youth-led peace initiatives received targeted support, by equipping them with skills and resources to enhance community resilience and social cohesion.
