The European Union have donated 105 militarized vehicles to strengthen the security sector in Ghana.
The move was an effort to support Ghana’s security system in combatting terrorism, following a surge in terrorist attacks in neighboring regions in the country.
At the commissioning of the vehicles, President of Ghana, Nana Akuffo-Addo emphasized on the terrorist threats on Ghana.
“The latest attempts by terrorist and extremist group to expand their scope of influence from the Sahara to Coastal West Africa are obvious. These actions pose a substantial security risk to the people and stability of Ghana. Recent occurrences of terrorist activities in the Burkina Faso, Togo and Benin underscore the pressing need for Ghana to enhance terrorism measures.”
President Akuffo-Addo also added touched on how support from partners such as the European Union and collaborative efforts from countries with the same challenge is important to litigate terrorism attacks.
“It is imperative to understand that no single country can confront the terrorist threats on its own. There are collaborative efforts among nations facing this challenge and critical support from partners such as the European Union; we share our security concerns, remain crucial in litigating the tourist threat in the West African region.”
In view of this, Representative for Foreign Affairs at the European Union, Josep Fontelles, highlighted the need to attack the root causes of terrorism to prevent it from happening.
“I see that we are all aware that the spill over of insecurity from the Sahara to the Gulf of Guinea is not a risk, it’s a reality; it’s like climate change. It’s not something that may happen in twenty years from now, its happening now. The spill over of terrorist activities from the Sahara to the Gulf of Guinea countries is something that is happening now. To prevent terrorist, we have to attack the root causes because everybody has a cause and we have to look at the causes not to justify but to explain and to be able to act in a more intelligent manner.”
Mr. Fontelles also spoke on the need to invest in economic activities as a counter-terrorism move, with emphasis on the Northern sector of Ghana.
“We need prevention [of terrorism], which requires improved service provision and job creation especially for youth and women. We need investment for such economic inclusion and the Northern region of Ghana is particularly key.”
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Story by: Zaghe Amey Mwinsongma | univers.ug.edu.gh
