Ghana’s President Mahama Welcomes Global Security Partners to Combat West African Terrorism
President John Dramani Mahama calls for renewed regional security cooperation in West Africa, welcoming international partners to help combat terrorism.
POLICY WIRE — Accra, Ghana — President John Dramani Mahama declared on Wednesday that he holds no reservations regarding Russian security assistance within the Sahel, emphasizing that any nation dedicated to the eradication of terrorism is a welcome partner in West Africa.
Addressing the ongoing instability caused by extremist violence, the President stressed that the region remains open to support from any country or international entity willing to bolster security efforts. He warned that the current fragmentation among neighboring states is significantly undermining the collective ability to respond to threats.
Mahama specifically highlighted the withdrawal of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso from ECOWAS, as well as their absence from the Accra Initiative, as factors that have hampered regional coordination. He urged West African leaders to prioritize the rebuilding of trust and the establishment of a more inclusive framework for security cooperation.
The President noted that peace and prosperity cannot be secured through isolated national strategies. To address these challenges, Ghana is actively enhancing its surveillance capabilities and intelligence-sharing protocols with its neighbors to better safeguard its borders.
During a recent visit to Niamey, President Mahama held high-level security discussions with Niger’s leader, Abdurahaman Tchiani. Both heads of state underscored the critical necessity for improved cooperation to counter the persistent threat of terrorism and transnational organized crime that continues to destabilize the sub-region.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
