Dr Kennedy Ahorsu, a Research Fellow at the Legon Centre for International Affairs and Diplomacy (LECIAD) of the University of Ghana, has urged Ghana and the wider African continent to take charge of their own security and craft homegrown strategies to tackle persistent challenges.

He made this call at a workshop on the theme “Security is Borderless: How Africa and Europe’s Security are Connected,” organised by the Embassy of the Czech Republic in partnership with LECIAD at the University of Ghana.

Speaking to the media, Dr Ahorsu explained that a country’s security needs are shaped by its history, identity, and national interest, a concept known as ontological security.

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He stressed that Africa’s security struggles cannot be separated from its colonial foundations, where European powers designed state systems that left deep divisions.

Conflicts such as the Dagbon crisis in Ghana, unrest in Burkina Faso and disputes at Kpandai, he noted, are legacies of colonial policies like indirect rule, which forced certain ethnic groups under the authority of others.

He further observed that international interventions have compounded Africa’s security problems.

The spread of terrorism in West Africa, he explained, is linked to external events such as the US-led invasion of Iraq and the overthrow of Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi.

“We must understand these histories and how they continue to shape our security today,” he emphasised.

Dr Ahorsu also lamented Africa’s weak identity in global politics.

Identity, he argued, reflects the values, norms, and expectations a country projects to the world.

Yet, African states often follow the dictates of European powers instead of setting their own agenda.

“Our interests as Africans frequently differ from Europe’s, but we rarely speak with one voice,” he said.

Calling for a shift, he urged African leaders to unite and adopt common positions on major international issues.

“Only when we define and project our own identity can we develop lasting solutions to our conflicts and secure our future,” he concluded.

AM/AE

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