Training to enhance experts’ capacities and capabilities to manage, investigate, and negotiate offences of kidnap for ramson underway in Accra

In recent years, there has been a growing concern of Member States representatives and counter-terrorism officials over the limited capacities of several countries, especially fragile and conflict-affected States, to enable their respective criminal justice, law enforcement institutions and security services to effectively prevent, manage and investigate kidnap cases using modern, proven methods, technologies and techniques. Responding to these concerns, the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) launched the United Nations Manual of Guidance for Countering Kidnapping and Extortion in 2021 to contribute to the multilateral efforts to have a more secure and prosperous world safe from terrorism.

In this same light, the UNOCT in collaboration with the National Crime Agency of the United Kingdom (NCA) and the Federal Office of Police, Switzerland (Swiss FedPol) has launched a three-week training session to train thirty-five participants from Ghana, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, Benin and Togo on counter kidnap under the Kidnap for Ransom Project (KFR) at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC). The training is being delivered by expert trainers from the NCA and Swiss FedPol through a collection of coordinated courses. In attendance are lead investigators, judicial police negotiators, experts from the NCA, United Kingdom, and Federal Police, Switzerland.

The British High Commissioner to Ghana, Harriet Thompson said: “Kidnap for ransom causes untold misery and has a life-changing impact on victims and their families. Through this new training, the UK is proud to work and learn alongside our partners both here in Ghana and across West Africa to truly stamp out this dreadful crime.”

The Head of the UK National Crime Agency’s anti-kidnap and extortion unit, Mr. John Coles said: “We are very proud to bring our expertise to the UN’s updated manual and provide training to international partners. This forms part of the UK government’s long-term investment in the region.”

In his opening remarks, Mr. Tim Segessemann, Attache, Embassy of Switzerland in Ghana noted, “We are all too well aware that political fragility and armed conflicts in the region are on the rise. It is no news, either, that the presence of armed groups, and their links to international terrorism, presents a threat also to the coastal states of West Africa.”

Speaking to the media, a Senior Officer of the UK National Crime Agency’s anti-kidnap and extortion unit, Mr. John Branney noted that this is a learning session for all participants and trainers as well. He said this training will equip participants with the skills and knowledge to effectively handle issues of kidnapping related and security issues in the sub-region.

The expected outcomes of these training sessions are to build the capacities of Member States to prevent, investigate and negotiate offences of kidnap for ransom through legal institutional and operational technical assistance. Additionally, it aims at raising awareness of ways to support victims of kidnapping and making the voices of victims heard.