Dr Emmanuel Wekem Kotia
Emmanuel Wekem Kotia, PhD, is a retired Major General of the Ghana Armed Forces with over four decades of distinguished service in military leadership, international peace operations, security governance, and academia. A nationally and internationally respected defence and security expert, his career spans frontline command, strategic policy leadership, high-level mediation, and advanced teaching and research in security and international politics.
About
Major General Kotia is an astute lecturer and speaker at various national and international forums on topics related international/national security; international politics and defence studies.
Ghana Armed Forces
Commissioned into the Ghana Armed Forces on 16 August 1986 (Artillery Corps) after enlistment as an Officer Cadet in 1984, General Kotia held numerous senior command and instructional appointments. These include Commanding Officer of the 66 Artillery Regiment (2005–2009), Directing Staff/Lecturer at the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College (2009–2011), Chief Instructor and Academic Programmes Coordinator at KAIPTC (2011– 2 2016), and Deputy Commandant of KAIPTC (2016–2018). He was one of the longest-serving instructors at the Ghana Military Academy (1993–2000) and was awarded the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal by the Ghana Armed Forces in 2001. General Kotia has extensive experience in United Nations and regional peace operations, including four tours with UNIFIL (Lebanon), where he served as Commanding Officer of the Ghana Battalion (2006–2007). Other missions include ECOMOG (Liberia), UNTAC (Cambodia), UNAMIR (Rwanda), MINURSO (Western Sahara), MONUC, and MONUSCO in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Consultancy
General Kotia is an international analyst, researcher, and policy practitioner specializing in national and international security, civil–military relations, democratic oversight of security institutions, security sector reform, and the security–development nexus, with a strong focus on Africa. His scholarly and policy work addresses emerging security threats, counterterrorism, peace operations, climate and human security, and institutional frameworks for effective and accountable national security governance. His work engages both academic and policy audiences and supports evidence-based reforms that strengthen democratic accountability, regional stability, and sustainable development across African states. He is the Founder and Chairman of EKOTIA Consultancy, a firm specializing in strategy, defence, and security advisory services. From March 2019 to May 2025, he served as the founding and first Commissioner-General of the Ghana Boundary Commission, where he led the establishment of the institution and national boundary governance frameworks. Previously, he served as Commander of the Western Sector of the United Nations Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) from 2018 to 2019, and as Deputy Commandant of the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) from 2016 to 2018.
Publications
General Kotia has published numerous papers and articles, including "The Unwinding of UN Peace Operations in Africa"; "The Principle and Reality of Legislative Oversight on Defence Matters in Liberal Democracies"; "Understanding the Geo-Politics of the War in Southern Lebanon"; "The Global Effects of the 33-day War in Lebanon"; "Gender and Conflicts in Africa: Gains and Losses"; "Liberia: History of the Origins of War and Profile of Actors"; "Military Professionalism in Peacekeeping"; "An Evolving Security Dilemma: Adopting a Comprehensive Approach to the Changing Dynamics of Terrorism in Africa"; and "Emerging Security Issues in Africa."
Publications
He was the main reviewer of the book Indigenous African Warfare by Colonel Festus Aboagye (retired) and authored Ghana Armed Forces in Lebanon and Liberia Peace Operations, published by Lexington Books, USA, in May 2015, which has been adopted as a textbook by institutions of higher learning. He is a visiting lecturer/facilitator at several institutions and universities, including the Ghana Police Command and Staff College, University of Professional Studies Ghana, University of Ghana School of Law, University of Bedfordshire (UK), Kennesaw State University (USA), the United States Military Academy at West Point, and Webster University. His research interests are in Defence Studies, International/National Security, and International Politics.
Academic Works
He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree (First Class Honours) in Political Science and Sociology from the University of Ghana, a Master of Science (MSc) degree in Global Security from Cranfield University, United Kingdom, and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Political Science from the University of Ghana. These academic foundations underpin his long-standing contributions to security scholarship, professional military education, and policy development. An accomplished academic and institution builder, General Kotia has led programme development, accreditation, and curriculum design at the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College and KAIPTC. He was lead consultant for the development of KAIPTC’s MA programmes in Conflict, Peace and Security; Gender, Peace and Security; and the PhD programme in International Conflict Management, and for the MSc in Defence and International Politics at GAFCSC. He has supervised and examined over 130 master’s and doctoral dissertations and continues to teach at postgraduate and doctoral levels at GAFCSC. He has held teaching appointments as Clinical Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies at Kennesaw State University (USA), Visiting Lecturer at the University of Bedfordshire (UK), and Adjunct Lecturer at the University of Ghana School of Law, University of Professional Studies (UPSA), Accra, and Webster University (Accra). In 2021, he served as the sole consultant for the development of the PhD programme in International Security and Intelligence UPSA.
Policy
General Kotia has played a central role in national security policy and legal reform in Ghana. He chaired the committee that drafted the Security and Intelligence Agencies Act (Act 1030, 2020) and the National Signals Bureau Act (Act 1040, 2020), served as consultant to the Constitution Review Commission, and contributed to the drafting of the National Peace 3 Council Act (Act 818). He also chaired the Technical Working Group that developed the first National Security Strategy of Ghana (2020) and the National Framework for Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism and Terrorism (2019). He has served on numerous advisory and governing bodies, including the Governing Board of the Ghana Police Command and Staff College, the Advisory Board of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Board of Directors of the E-Crime Bureau, the Governing Body of the Ghana Boundary Commission, and currently the Advisory Board of the Ministry of Interior. Since 2013, he has been a regular facilitator for the Parliament of Ghana, delivering orientation lectures for Members of Parliament and facilitating specialised training for parliamentary committees on defence and interior; and security and intelligence. General Kotia has published extensively, including the book Ghana Armed Forces in Lebanon and Liberia Peace Operations (Lexington Books, 2015), now used as a textbook in several universities. His forthcoming books with Bloomsbury (USA) include National Security Frameworks for African States and Establishing National Boundary Institutions in Africa (2026). His research interests include Defence Studies, National and International Security, Strategy, and International Politics.
Major General Emmanuel Wekem Kotia is a distinguished academician and renowned practitioner in the field of peace and conflict studies. With an impressive academic background and extensive experience, Major General Kotia brings a wealth of knowledge and positions himself as a leading authority.
Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science
First Class Honors
Ghana
Master of Science Degree in Global Security
2005
United Kingdom
Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science
2012
Ghana
Major General Kotia is an accomplished author and contributor to academic publications. Delving into the depths of peace and security, Dr Emmanuel Kotia's publications offer profound insights into contemporary security challenges. With a wealth of knowledge and experience, his publications provide a comprehensive understanding of peace operations, national security geopolitical dynamics, and gender issues in conflicts. His publications serve as valuable resources for scholars, policymakers, and practitioners seeking to navigate the complex landscape of global security and contribute to sustainable peace and stability.
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