In July 2025, the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), in collaboration with Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone, and with funding support from the Government of Sweden through SIDA, rolled out a four-day course on Women, Youth, and Violent Extremism and Terrorism in Freetown.
The course, grounded in extensive research across Mali, Burkina Faso, and Nigeria, brought together women and youth leaders, security actors, religious and traditional leaders, civil society, and international partners. The course aimed to build the capacity of participants to prevent radicalization, strengthen resilience, and contribute to Sierra Leone’s national and regional security strategies.
At the opening, Sierra Leone’s Minister for Internal Affairs, Hon. Morie Lengor, underscored the urgency of addressing violent extremism as a growing threat to coastal West African states. He urged participants to harness inclusion, dialogue, and innovation—particularly through the energy of youth and the courage of women—to resist extremist recruitment.
“Violent extremism is adapting to new environments, exploiting governance vulnerabilities, and preying on the frustrations of those excluded from political and economic participation. Sierra Leone, like many coastal West African states, now finds itself at a critical juncture on the frontline of efforts to prevent the southward spread of extremist ideologies and actions,” he said.
Ghana’s High Commissioner to Sierra Leone, H.E. Dr. Senator Kwabla Yawlui, echoed this call, encouraging participants to return to their communities better prepared to counter radicalization.
Acting Commandant of KAIPTC, Air Commodore David Anetey Akrong, reiterated that violent extremism is a growing threat in West Africa, including in coastal states such as Sierra Leone due to spillover risks from neighbouring conflict-prone regions. Air Commodore David Anetey Akrong said young people and women are already facing economic exclusion, social injustice, and political marginalization and are being increasingly targeted by extremist recruiters. He urged for more proactive, evidence-based and inclusive responses to gender-based violence.