Justice Mensa-Bonsu warns of changing face of warfare, rising extremism and threats to global peace

Justice Professor Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu warned on Friday at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) 15th Graduation Ceremony for the Joint Master's Course 2026 at Schroder Hall in Accra that the global security landscape is undergoing profound transformation, with the rise of new forms of conflict, violent extremism, and emerging military technologies posing serious challenges to international peace and civilian protection. She urged graduating peace and security scholars to apply their knowledge to help address complex conflicts.

Justice Professor Mensa-Bonsu congratulated the graduates, reminding them their education came with a responsibility to contribute to building safer societies. She stated, "Your struggles have borne fruit as you graduate with well-earned certificates. Now, however, is the time to put the knowledge to work so that your country may profit from your exertions and be the better off for having invested in citizens like you." The former Supreme Court Justice noted that international affairs are experiencing significant uncertainty, challenging traditional assumptions about global security. She argued that expectations of a more peaceful world after the end of the Cold War in the early 1990s had not materialized due to renewed geopolitical competition, the emergence of new powers, and shifting economic alliances.