The nexus between a national security strategy and foreign policy

The Case for Integrating Security Strategy and Foreign Policy

In an academic paper published by Graphic Online and Asaaseradio.com, retired Major General of the Ghana Armed Forces, Emmanuel Wekem Kotia, PhD, argues that African states must adopt coherent, people-centred National Security Strategies (NSS) that are closely aligned with foreign policy. The paper, which draws on the theoretical perspectives of Realism, Liberal Institutionalism, Human Security Theory, and the Comprehensive Security Approach, contends that these two strategic instruments are mutually reinforcing mechanisms for safeguarding national interests, promoting regional stability, and advancing sustainable development.

The author, who has over four decades of service in the Ghana Armed Forces, argues that the contemporary security landscape consists of complex interrelated threats that transcend national boundaries. Terrorism, violent extremism, cybercrime, organised crime, climate change, pandemics, maritime insecurity, and geopolitical competition have blurred the line between domestic and external security. As a result, it has become difficult for nation-states to secure their national interests through military means or domestic policies alone.

The paper examines the nexus between NSS and foreign policy within the African context, demonstrating that while the NSS provides the strategic framework for identifying national interests, assessing threats, and coordinating the instruments of national power, foreign policy operationalises these objectives through diplomacy, defence diplomacy, economic engagement, intelligence cooperation, and regional integration.

National Interests and Threat Perceptions

According to the paper, Ghana's NSS includes the protection of constitutional democracy, territorial integrity, stability, economic growth, and regional peace as national interests. The NSS also identifies illegal mining, cybercrimes, environmental degradation, communal conflicts, and economic insecurity as major national security issues. Ghana and Nigeria have identified violent extremism, cyber threats, and organised crimes as strategic threats in their NSSs.

The rise of violent extremism in the Sahel region, with terrorists operating mainly in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, is considered a direct threat to the national interests of coastal states such as Ghana, Benin, Togo, and Côte d’Ivoire. The paper notes that the NSSs of these countries emphasise border security, intelligence cooperation, and counter-terrorism, and their foreign policies facilitate a coordinated response through regional security strategies.

Regional Cooperation and Multilateralism

Ghana and Nigeria actively engage in ECOWAS security arrangements, which emphasise intelligence exchange, joint border operations, and joint actions to address insecurity in the Sahel. The paper also highlights the African Union (AU), ECOWAS, the Southern African Development Community (SADC), and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) as having established mechanisms for conflict prevention, peace operations, early warning, and counter-terrorism cooperation.

African initiatives illustrating the principles of comprehensive security include the African Peace and Security Architecture, the African Standby Force, the ECOWAS Early Warning and Response Network (ECOWARN), and the Accra Initiative. The involvement of certain West African nations in the Accra Initiative from 2018 to 2024 provides an example of how foreign policy assists in achieving national security goals through intelligence gathering, joint border patrols, and counter-terrorism efforts among coastal West African nations.

The foreign policies of South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, and other African states emphasise multilateralism, peaceful coexistence, and international cooperation, complementing their NSSs by strengthening regional partnerships and contributing to UN peace operations. Countries such as Nigeria, Kenya, Ethiopia, Senegal, and Ghana consistently contribute to UN peace operations, which has improved the professionalism of their armed forces. Rwanda has employed peace operations to achieve regional stability along with promoting its national interests.

Diplomacy as a Tool for Preventing Security Threats

The paper highlights preventive diplomacy as a key mechanism for addressing security threats. Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Senegal, and other democratic countries provide notable examples of preventive diplomacy in support of national security objectives. Ghana, Senegal, and Nigeria have contributed to mediation efforts in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire, and The Gambia through active engagement within ECOWAS, the AU, and the UN.

The peaceful resolution of the maritime boundary dispute between Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire occurred at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), an example of diplomatic means resolving potential security tensions. The paper also notes that foreign policy contributed to national security through multinational security arrangements in the Lake Chad Basin, where cooperation in the fight against Boko Haram and other extremism has improved.

Defence Diplomacy and Intelligence Cooperation

Ghana has recently established a Defence Cooperation outfit within the Ghana Armed Forces for pursuing defence diplomacy. The paper also cites the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre in Ghana and the International Peace Support Training Centre in Kenya as having helped develop African expertise in peace operations, conflict prevention, and security sector governance.

The paper notes that ECOWAS has been instrumental in the restoration of constitutional governance in The Gambia and has assisted in conflict management in Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Strengthening National Security with Regional Integration

The paper discusses the role of regional integration in strengthening national security, mentioning the AU, ECOWAS, SADC, and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which is headquartered in Accra, Ghana. Economic integration, the paper argues, can contribute to stability and development, thereby addressing root causes of insecurity.

Challenges to Policy Coherence

The paper addresses challenges to policy coherence between NSS and foreign policy, including institutional fragmentation, lack of strategic thinking, resource limitations, and governance issues. These constraints undermine the ability of African states to effectively coordinate their security and foreign policy instruments.

Author Background

Emmanuel Wekem Kotia chaired the working group that drafted the first National Security Strategy of Ghana, which was launched in 2020. He is the Founding Commissioner-General of the Ghana Boundary Commission. He holds a First-Class BA in Political Science and a PhD in Political Science from the University of Ghana, as well as an MSc in Global Security from Cranfield University, United Kingdom.

He has taught International Security and Conflict Management at Kennesaw State University (USA) and the University of Bedfordshire (UK). He has served in UN peacekeeping missions in Lebanon, Liberia, Western Sahara, Cambodia, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. His book, 'Ghana Armed Forces in Lebanon and Liberia Peace Operations', is widely used in postgraduate studies. He currently serves as an Adjunct Lecturer at the University of Ghana School of Law and the University of Professional Studies, Accra. His forthcoming books, to be published by Bloomsbury Publishing (USA), are 'National Security Frameworks for African States' and 'Establishing National Boundary Institutions in Africa'.