The Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) has broken its old Faculty of Academic Affairs and Research (FAR) into two separate bodies — a standalone Faculty of Academic Affairs and a dedicated research department called DARIPS. The split isn't a paperwork exercise, the Centre says. It's a direct response to the speed at which security threats are now moving across West Africa.

Dr Emma Birikorang, who heads the new Department of Applied Research and Innovation in Peace and Security (DARIPS), told a Partners’ Meeting in Accra on Saturday that the old structure couldn't keep up. “The peace and security challenges that are confronting West Africa today are moving faster than our traditional research and training cycles have been able to keep up,” she said.

She pointed to three specific pressures: the spread of violent extremism from the Sahel into coastal states, the strain on governance from unconstitutional changes of government, and the resulting humanitarian and developmental pressures. All of these, she said, are evolving faster than conventional academic cycles can handle.

The restructuring is meant to make KAIPTC more agile. DARIPS will focus on producing policy-relevant research that directly informs regional security responses, while the Faculty of Academic Affairs continues training. Dr Birikorang stressed that KAIPTC's mandate has grown beyond just training — as an ECOWAS centre of excellence, it's now expected to generate research that governments, security agencies, and communities can actually use.

Dr Birikorang also called on partners to challenge the Centre and point it toward ongoing initiatives they may not see. “I encourage you as our partners to challenge us, point us to a way that is already underway which you may not be aware of, and highlight areas of interest to you,” she said. She stressed that the complexity of the region's security environment demands coordinated responses involving governments, international partners, research institutions, and civil society.

She thanked the Government of Germany and GIZ for their sustained support, which she said has been instrumental in advancing KAIPTC's training, research, and policy engagement across the region.

West Africa has seen a sharp rise in violent extremism in recent years, with groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIS pushing south from the Sahel into countries like Benin, Togo, Côte d'Ivoire, and Ghana. Military takeovers in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have also weakened regional cooperation. By separating research from academic training, KAIPTC hopes to produce faster, more targeted analysis that can help policymakers respond before crises escalate.

The Centre, established in 2003 and named after former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, has trained thousands of peacekeepers and civilian personnel. The creation of DARIPS is the biggest structural change in years.

  • KAIPTC split its Faculty of Academic Affairs and Research (FAR) into two units: Faculty of Academic Affairs and DARIPS.
  • Dr Emma Birikorang is Director of DARIPS, the new research-focused department.
  • The restructuring was announced at a Partners’ Meeting in Accra on June 18, 2026.
  • Key threats cited: violent extremism spreading from Sahel to coastal states, unconstitutional changes of government, humanitarian pressures.
  • Germany and GIZ are major partners supporting KAIPTC's work.

“The peace and security challenges that are confronting West Africa today are moving faster than our traditional research and training cycles have been able to keep up.” — Dr Emma Birikorang