On 26-27 November, UNIDIR, the UN Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa (UNREC) and the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) convened a workshop in Lomé, Togo, to consider and chart the implementation of a study on integrating the prevention of violent extremism and illicit weapons proliferation. The event brought together over 50 West African experts from States, the UN, regional and continental organizations, civil society and academia.
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In recent years, conflicts have intensified and armed violence has increased in West Africa, strongly driven by the rise of violent extremism and availability of conventional arms and ammunition. Extremist violence and demand for weapons share underlying causes. Acting upon the linkages between these common root causes and the sources for illicit weapons can help prevent armed violence more sustainably.
The joint UNIDIR-UNREC-FDFA workshop concluded an empirical study on West African good practices for linking the prevention of violent extremism (PVE) and weapons and ammunition management (WAM). This study was requested during a West African seminar, convened by the three partners in 2023, to examine “what works” in the region to address both illicit weapons supply and the root causes of violence.
Call for breaking cycles of violence
Opening the workshop, Kadja Hodabalo-Pitemnéwé, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Security of Togo, stressed the relevance of the event: “The continuous supply of weapons fuels a vicious circle: the more weapons there are, the more violent extremism grows, which in turn stimulates further demand for weapons.” In this regard, Bintah Sanneh, UN Resident Coordinator ad interim in Togo, shared that securitized responses – although necessary – are no longer sufficient. H.E. Simone Giger, Swiss Ambassador to Ghana, Benin and Togo, added that tensions cannot be resolved by force of arms, but rather by a willingness to tackle the root causes of violence, with dialogue and transborder cooperation at the core.
In light of the spillover of armed violence in West Africa, Adedeji Ebo, Deputy to the UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, pointed to the ever more evident need for holistic responses: “This is precisely where WAM and PVE converge.” Speaking on behalf of the African Union Commission, Richard Apau underlined the many regional efforts to tackle the issues such as the AU’s Master Roadmap of Practical Steps to Silence the Guns or the ECOWAS Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons. Finally, for UNIDIR Senior Researcher Ursign Hofmann, the workshop leads the way in implementing the UN’s Pact for the Future and showcasing good West African practices.
Workshop takeaways
Based on the study’s findings, workshop participants shared good practices and unexploited opportunities for integrating PVE and WAM across policy frameworks, institutions and operational practices at the local, national and regional levels. Participants notably highlighted that:
- Sustainably preventing armed violence requires tackling both the symptoms and their causes. This implies moving beyond fragmented and kinetic responses;
- No single stakeholder can overcome the challenges alone. Strengthening national structures and cooperation between all relevant actors are necessary to implement integrated approaches;
- Existing policy frameworks need to evolve. Recognizing and acting upon PVE-WAM links in them is key for operationalizing institutional cooperation and integrated activities;
- Formal and informal dialogue mechanisms are an essential means for integrating PVE and WAM. They remain insufficiently used;
- Efforts to integrate PVE and WAM should focus on communities. Local actors (e.g., religious and community leaders, women, youth) should be empowered as agents of change to drive integration and be networked with one another;
- A harmonized regional approach and cooperation are essential for joined-up responses. They should be targeted at the most vulnerable hot spots, particularly in border areas; and
- Updating institutional and policy frameworks can be a first step to integrate approaches. This may be followed by adapting structures and by dedicated training.
Integrating PVE and WAM is no longer an option, but a strategic imperative.
Participant’s feedback
The path forward
Participants stressed the urgency of moving from acknowledging the links between PVE and WAM to operationalizing them, adapted to contexts. They praised the practical implementation steps laid out in the study. High-level political prioritization is critical, while national structures were encouraged to harness available space at the programmatic level. Particularly key is engagement with parliaments and security actors. Securing national resources is a must. International partners were also called upon to support. Finally, participants recognized the contribution by research in providing knowhow.
Moving ahead on integrated approaches, participants put forward concrete actions that they seek to undertake or promote in their respective capacity or collectively.
At the national level:
- Disseminate study findings and advocate for integrated approaches to national decision-makers and stakeholders, including parliamentarians;
- Create national exchange platforms to strengthen programmatic and operational cooperation among all relevant stakeholders;
- Explore establishing a national institutional umbrella or communication channels between national PVE and WAM structures;
- Apply the study to enhance a security sector governance (SSG) pilot project in Togo and scale project experiences from other countries, using holistic SSG as a key entry point for integration;
- Join up PVE and WAM in planned actions in national small arms and light weapons strategies, sensibilization activities and data collection. The study was also considered timely for the revision of Ghana’s PVE framework and Côte d’Ivoire’s Counter-Terrorism strategy;
- Integrate approaches to PVE and WAM in peace promotion and reconciliation programmes;
At the regional level:
- Promote integrated approaches and use of the study across the region via regional networks, such as the Network of African Parliamentarians for Defense and Security Committees and West African Action Network on Small Arms;
- Conduct a self-assessment by regional and continental organizations, including reviewing policy frameworks, to help determine how integrated approaches can be fostered within these entities, and establish multi-sectoral teams to implement relevant study findings; and
- Strengthen PVE and weapons-related indicators in a regional civil society network’s conflict early warning mechanism, early warning being a key avenue for integration.
From dialogue to action
Participants proposed using existing venues in West Africa and in the continent to shape the policy debate. They called upon the AU and regional organizations to foster integration of PVE and WAM in their work and in existing or new guidelines or action plans. Cooperation between organizations should remain vivid. The workshop highlighted the AU’s Silencing the Guns initiative in particular.
Participants also recommended sustaining the multi-stakeholder dialogue platform for PVE and WAM experts, provided by UNIDIR, UNREC and FDFA (the “Lomé Initiative”), to monitor implementation progress and promote regional exchange and learning. The three partners were also invited to support dissemination of the study to States and regional partners, and widen dialogue to other regions.
Looking ahead, in February 2026, UNIDIR, UNREC and FDFA will publish and launch the study, offering effective steps for operational uptake in West Africa. It will also contribute tangibly to the 9th review of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and the 9th Biennial Meeting of States of the Programme of Action on Small Arms. The study will be a concrete example of actioning the UN’s Pact for the Future’s call for armed violence prevention, and will hopefully inspire other African regions to effectively integrate PVE and WAM.