President John Dramani Mahama has told Ghanaians that contrary to fears that the country could be a target for terrorists because Ghana has opted to host two ex-Guantanamo Bay detainees, their presence could rather bode well in the long term.
The president asserts Ghana is benefiting from the partnership with the US because the country is given advanced information on terror suspects being tracked by international intelligence.
"Now the countries that have the largest database of persons perceived to be terrorists are the United States first, then the UK, France and other European countries. This collaboration with the United States makes us even safer because we can get advance information about who is coming into the country and who we should be watchful of...And already that has worked. We've gotten vital information from the United States of America for which we've some names that if they were coming to this country, we would have to stop them and question them. For which there're people of special interest that we currently are looking at and making sure that they are not up to something in our country," President Mahama said.
News that the government has decided to resettle two former Guantanamo Bay detainees born in Saudi Arabia but considered citizens of Yemen origin in Ghana have been met with public outcry.
The transfers are part of President Barack Obama's effort to fulfill a 2008 campaign promise to close the military prison.
Although the two are Yemenis, the country is currently politically unstable to accept returnees; thus they were therefore given a third country option, which was to live in Ghana and they accepted it.
Ghana agreed to host them for two years and the country is getting two of the 17 detainees being sent to countries such as Uruguay, Estonia, Kazakhstan, and Oman.
But the report has not gone down well with some Ghanaians who believe the two Yeminis pose a security risk to the country as their presence could put Ghana on the radar of terrorists.
The latest to voice concern is the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference.
They have described government’s decision as “wrong” and “dangerous,” joining forces with other christian organisations against the move. The Council, in a statement indicated that the move poses a major security threat to Ghana especially when the country is gearing up for the November general elections.
Their concerns come barely a day after the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council asked government to return the detainees back to their country.
But addressing the media at the Flagstaff House on Tuesday, President John Mahama assured Ghanaians that the Guantanamo Bay detainees sent to Ghana do not pose any threat to the safety of the citizenry since they are "under surveillance".
Additionally, he said, aside the ability to "assess the database of persons suspected and perceived to be terrorists", Ghana's "Special Forces" is "receiving training" from its US counterpart so they react better in any given situation.
"What we should fear is not them (the two Guantanamo Bay ex-detainees) because we've them under surveillance. What we should fear is somebody who can come in and create havoc that we do not yet know. And so our collaboration with the United States of America, the UK and France, helps us to to able to protect our safety and security by being able to assess the database of persons suspected and perceived to be terrorists. Aside from that, we are receiving training for our Special Forces so that in case situations like that occur, our forces are in a position to respond.
And so this is a beneficial relationship and i believe that we should calm down the hysteria and the phobia," he added. |
| |
|
|
|
No comments:
Post a Comment