Tag: Terrorist Attack

Over a decade after terrorists besieged the region, Ghana has still not been targeted.

It is imperative to recognize, however, that violent extremism today poses a threat to more than just Ghana.

The West Africa Centre for Counter-Extremism (WACCE) Executive Director, Mutaru Mumuni Muqthar, has stated that it is currently closer to the nation than it has ever been.

West Africa has lost 53% of its population to terrorism, according to WACCE.

23 Ghanaians have been talked out of traveling to join extremist groups, while it is known that 13 Ghanaians have already joined such groups.

“Terrorists have a huge exploitative capacity; they take advantage of existing vulnerabilities to recruit and/or attack,” he said.

Northern Ghana is now more at risk as the threat moves from the Sahel and Burkina Faso to the coastal states.

WACCE is starting a project in Northern Ghana called “Building Resilience Against Violent Extremism through Social Cohesion” to deal with this.

The concept was unveiled by WACCE on Friday at a press briefing.

The West African sub region, is facing intense security challenges following the increased activities from violent extremists groups.

Mali and Burkina Faso, have become theatres of violence, with various armed groups attacking, kidnapping and killing on a daily basis.

Analysts believe the terrorists are seeking to reach coastal states along the Gulf of Guinea, such as Togo, Benin and Ghana, where they can have direct access to the sea and transport logistics to aid their cause.

The growing threat of terrorism in Sahel is not only dangerous for the West African subregion, but it also puts Europe under direct threat due to its proximity to the African continent.

Equipping armies on the continent with the skills and resources to counter the threat is therefore crucial towards safeguarding the peace and stability of the world.

As part of this effort, the United States and its partners initiated a joint military training under the code name, Operation African Lion, which has, over the years, been carried out in Morocco and Tunisia.

However, the 2022 program saw the addition of Senegal and Ghana all hosting month-long training camps.

More than seven thousand troops from the participating countries had the opportunity for shoulder-to-shoulder training, to ensure a coordinated multinational response.

In a digital press briefing on the initiative, the Commander of the US Army Southern European Task Force, Major General Andrew M. Rohling explained that, Ghana and Senegal were included this year because the exercise fits the security needs of both countries.

“They intertwined well with our interoperability objectives that we were hoping to get at African Lion,” he stressed.

The exercise in Ghana saw the Ghana Armed Forces and their US partners participate in a joint simulated attack on the Daboya Military Training camp, which partner forces were able to neutralize.

According to Major General Rohling, the simulated exercise “will help each participating country, no matter how they participate, prove themselves to be a little better and a little more capable of exercising their military and their governance as best sees fit. So I think that if you have the opportunity to rehearse in training and rehearse in simulation and rehearse with your partners, it makes you a stronger country when you face a real threat.”

Meanwhile, the Chief of Defence Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces, Vice Admiral Seth Amoama after watching the exercise, assured Ghanaians that, the military are ready to counter any attack by extremist groups. Adding that, the troops are also preparing to join a multi-national operation to fight the growing presence of the jihadists in the gulf region.

Source: Citinews

Dr. Ishmael Norman, the president of the Institute for Security, Disaster and Emergency Studies, has suggested that some terrorists have already made their way into the country.

This comes after the National Security recently issued a number of stern warnings and alerts of potential attacks by extremist elements targeted at Ghana.

Reacting to the development in an interview with Accra-based TV3 on May 21, Dr. Norman said although the situation is worrying, citizens must be circumspect in their dealings taking into consideration their personal safety and security.

“They are not just near Ghana; they are in Ghana. Some of them will even marry Ghanaian men or women. We have to assume that they are already here. The National Security warning is a good one, I believe the terrorists are already in Ghana,” he stressed.

Very worrying reports of potential attacks of extremist elements targeted at Ghana. As we heighten the alertedness of intelligence and security agencies, all of us need to be more security conscious and be quick to report any suspicious persons or packages to security agencies.

— Kojo Oppong Nkrumah (@konkrumah) May 21, 2022

Meanwhile, Information Minister, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah on Saturday also described as worrying reports of potential attacks by extremist groups targeting Ghana as their next spot to cause mayhem.

He however said government through security agencies will continue to tighten their apparatus and intelligence gathering but urged Ghanaians to take their personal security in high regard.

“Very worrying reports of potential attacks of extremist elements targeted at Ghana. As we heighten the alertness of intelligence and security agencies, all of us need to be more security conscious and be quick to report any suspicious persons or packages to security agencies,” Oppong-Nkrumah wrote.

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

The government of Ghana has expressed concerns over the expanding activities of extremist attacks to the coast of the West African sub-region, a situation which poses a threat to the rapid economic growth to the various economies which find themselves in the catchment area.

Foreign Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey while delivering her address on behalf of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo who doubles as Chairperson of ECOWAS at the 2nd Coordinating Council meeting of the AU and the economic community noted that on “the second exogenous shock of terrorism and violent extremism, it is worth noting that it remains a serious challenge for ECOWAS. Between the 1st of January to 16th October 2020, 570 terrorist incidents leading to 2,201 deaths took place in the region, particularly in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Nigeria”.

She added that “the terrorist threat also continues to expand towards the coastal states of West Africa, as evidenced by the terrorist attack of 11th of June 2020 perpetrated in the northeast of Côte d’Ivoire.”

The Minister further explained that although ECOWAS heads of states and governments approved a $1billion priority action plan to end terrorism in the region, to date, $100 million have been mobilised since 2019.

Notwithstanding the exogenous shocks, ECOWAS in the view of the foreign minister has pursued its programmes and projects to support the transformation of the national economies and foster the creation of a zone of economic freedom, competitiveness and shared prosperity.

She also reassured the gathering that the ECOWAS Integration and Development Agenda is anchored on Ecuador’s Vision 2020, which is fully in line with the African Union agenda.

Source: Class FM