President Akufo-Addo (middle) in a photograph with Kamala Harris (left) and Rebecca Akufo-Addo at the Jubilee House
Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris yesterday announced a $100 million package to help fight terrorism and violent extremism in the West African region.
The countries include Ghana, Benin, Guinea, Cote d’Ivoire and Togo, which are considered to be under the threat of seeming acts of terrorism due to activities by terror groups in the Sahel region.
The announcement was made when she met President Akufo-Addo at the Jubilee House as part of her three-day working visit to Ghana.
This is intended to help implement the strategic plan announced by US President Joe Biden last week as part of the US government’s strategy to help promote stability in West Africa and to also address development, security and governance issues in the sub-region.
On the issue about the current economic crisis in which Ghana finds itself, she recognised the challenges Ghanaians were going through in the wake of the COVID-19 global pandemic and the disruptions caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“We welcome Ghana’s commitment to reforming its economy to deliver sustainable and inclusive growth. We support Ghana’s engagement with the IMF and will continue to push for all bilateral creditors to provide meaningful debt reduction for countries that need it, including Ghana,” she said whilst insisting that “we must work together as international community to ease the debt burden that is facing far too many countries.”
That, she said, was because “it is critical to do so to build on long term economic growth and prosperity and to increase US investment, a key priority for our administration and in particular private sector investment.”
Whilst she admitted the two countries enjoy a strong relationship, she stressed the belief her visit will strengthen the existing relation.
The US Vice President was full of praise for President Akufo-Addo for his leadership in response to recent democratic backsliding in West Africa and standing up for democratic principles around the world.
“Under your leadership, Ghana has been a beacon of democracy and a contributor to global peace and security,” was how she put it.
On his part, President Akufo-Addo described his meeting with the US Vice President as “successful,” as both sides reaffirmed the commitment to collaborate further and provide mutual support at both bilateral and multilateral levels.
He said the US Vice President pledged America’s support for Ghana’s transformative agenda, saying “it is this transformation that would give us the best opportunity to derive maximum benefit from our abundant natural resources and enable us to create a firmer foundation for a meaningful long-term economic and commercial relations with the United States of America.”
The President said Ghana would continue to collaborate with the US at all levels towards the peaceful resolution of conflicts and in the search for global peace and security, to promote sustainable development around the world.
Whilst he expressed concern about the activities and operations of various terror groups in the sub-region, President Akufo-Addo expressed that the security agencies in Ghana will continue to be on top of their game to prevent any such events in the country.
“We equally had cause to express worry about the operations of the Russian mercenary force, Wagner group in the region.
“It raises the very real possibility that once again our continent is going to become the playground for a great power conflict,” President Akufo-Addo said.
The President also rejected concerns about China’s influence in the region, insisting that Ghana’s relations were separate from one another, and said the ties with America “is a relationship that has been close over several decades.”
By Charles Takyi-Boadu