By 
The West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) has received a substantial boost to its Electoral Violence Monitoring, Analysis and Mitigation (E‑MAM) Project following the official handover of advanced communication and early warning equipment in Accra, Ghana, on 12 March 2026. The support was provided under the European Union (EU) Support to ECOWAS in Peace, Security and Governance (EPSG) Project, implemented by the GIZ Governance and Peace Cluster. This forms part of a broader regional effort to strengthen early warning and response mechanisms to prevent electoral violence across West Africa.
This latest investment reflects a shared commitment to strengthening conflict prevention systems at a time when several West African countries are preparing for critical elections. Between 2023 and 2026, the region has witnessed heightened political transitions, making it increasingly important to reinforce institutions responsible for monitoring, analysing and responding to election related risks. The E MAM Project, supported by the EU and implemented in partnership with ECOWAS, the ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions (ECONEC) and the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), plays a central role in these efforts. Through country level monitoring, early warning analysis and stakeholder engagement, the project helps identify potential triggers of electoral violence throughout the electoral cycle.
During the handover ceremony, WANEP received a comprehensive suite of equipment designed to reinforce both its analytical capabilities and its communication infrastructure. The items include high performance laptops with advanced processing capacity for managing extensive electoral datasets; interactive smart boards to support real time collaborative analysis; high luminosity projectors to enhance Election Situation Room operations; LED lighting kits; wireless and wired lavalier microphones; and other communication accessories.
Additional tools, such as licensed design and editing software, including Canva Pro, Adobe Creative Cloud and CapCut Pro, were also provided to strengthen the production of communication materials and digital content. These tools will significantly enhance WANEP’s ability to process large volumes of electoral data, generate high quality analytical and communication products and ensure the efficient dissemination of early warning outputs to national, regional and international stakeholders.
The support comes at a pivotal moment. Since the launch of the current phase of the E MAM Project (2023-2026), WANEP has contributed extensively to electoral early warning and violence prevention efforts in Liberia, Senegal and Ghana. The project is also supporting preparations for upcoming elections in Guinea Bissau, Cabo Verde, Guinea, Benin and The Gambia. Over the years, E MAM has processed more than 205,000 situation and incident reports, demonstrating both the scale of its work and the increasing data demands placed on its early warning systems.
The newly acquired equipment will enable faster data processing, improve analysis, and enhance the visibility and responsiveness of the project’s outputs. These enhancements are expected to directly improve the effectiveness of electoral violence risk mitigation across the target countries.
The EPSG support builds on previous collaboration under the ECOWAS Peace and Security Architecture and Operations (EPSAO) programme, through which GIZ and other partners contributed to strengthening multi stakeholder responses to peaceful elections. The renewed investment demonstrates confidence in WANEP’s leadership and its role as a trusted regional partner in peacebuilding and electoral violence mitigation.
WANEP expressed appreciation to the European Union, ECOWAS and GIZ for their continued support and reaffirmed its commitment to promoting peaceful, credible and violence free elections across West Africa. With these enhanced tools and strengthened operational capacity, the E MAM Project is now even better positioned to support stakeholders in safeguarding democratic processes and consolidating peace across the region.
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