The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Lieutenant General William Agyapong, has warned that Ghana’s security environment is undergoing significant changes that require an urgent and coordinated national response.
Speaking at the 50th Anniversary Republic Day Lecture of the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College held in Accra on Wednesday, July 1, he said the country is increasingly facing complex and converging security threats from both the Sahel region and the Gulf of Guinea.
He noted that the lecture theme, “From the Sahel to the Gulf of Guinea: Violent Extremism and Maritime Insecurity in West Africa: Implications for Ghana and Regional Security,” was deliberately chosen to reflect the changing nature of threats in the sub-region.
According to him, the current threat landscape has shifted in ways that demand a frank and immediate response from government and security stakeholders.
Lt Gen Agyapong explained that violent extremist groups operating in the Sahel are increasingly adaptive, well-resourced, and expanding their reach southwards.
“The map of our threat environment currently has shifted dramatically in ways that demand a direct and honest response from government,” he stated.
On maritime security, the CDS raised concerns about rising criminal activities in the Gulf of Guinea, which he said are increasingly overlapping with transnational terrorist networks.
He said incidents of robbery at sea, including attacks on fishing vessels and the seizure of outboard motors, are leaving artisanal fishermen stranded and vulnerable.
“Our maritime frontier in the Gulf of Guinea continues to be exploited by criminal actors whose activities overlap with those of transnational terrorism,” he said.
He added that the situation should not be seen as alarmist but as a planning reality that requires sustained attention, preparedness, and regional cooperation to safeguard national security.
“Ghana sits geographically and strategically between these two converging threat vectors. That is not an alarmist observation; it is a planning reality that requires our full attention,” he added.
