Support Ghana to combat terrorism – Kan-Dapaah

The Minister for National Security Albert Kan-Dapaah, has called on the international community to provide meaningful support to Ghana towards preventing the spread of terrorism and violent extremism from the Sahel region into the country.

Speaking at a roundtable event on Thursday, February 23, 2023 at Chatham House in London, Mr. Albert Kan-Dapaah noted that although Ghana is a beacon of democracy in West Africa, its efforts to influence the United Nations and development partners, to agree to sustainable funding for counter-terrorism and sustainable peace in the Sahel, including for logistics and other capabilities have not yielded adequate support from the West, even for Ghana’s national counter-terrorism initiatives.

He further intimated that Ghana has taken very strong and principled positions in the United Nations Security Council, including condemning Russia’s actions in Ukraine. “That comes with a cost. Yet, in contrast to the support the regimes aligned with Russia are receiving, our closest partners are still engaging with us on the support they might give”, he said.

Minister Kan-Dapaah stated that some West African countries are, out of desperation, engaging Russia for support.

He added that should the Russian model of support prove to be successful, many other West African States affected by the threat of terrorism will tilt toward Russia; a development that could cause realignments and ultimately hurt western interests in the West African region.

The National Security Minister further stated that it is almost as if the West is willingly ceding West Africa to the East.
And added that the failure of the West to provide meaningful support toward tackling the multiplicity of security threats could threaten the survival of democracy in the West African region as evidenced in recent military takeovers in Burkina Faso and Mali.