By Stephen Asante/James Amoh Jnr.
Accra, Oct. 31, GNA – Germany has affirmed its unwavering commitment in supporting Ghana to promote peace and security in West Africa and the Sahel region.
It will also assist the West African regional bloc, ECOWAS, with the technical expertise and logistics to counter terrorism in all its forms amid the growing insecurity and instability in the sub-Region.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, addressing security personnel at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centr (KAIPTC), in Accra, said terrorism and violent extremism posed a threat to regional cooperation and peace.
Terrorism in the sub-Region, he noted, remained complex and challenging.
Therefore, a highly trained and well equipped security architecture was necessary to addressing the estimated threats it posed.
The German Chancellor was accompanied by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
He is on a two-day visit to Ghana as part of his tour of some African countries to deepen bilateral cooperation and exchanges.
Chancellor Scholz’s visit comes in the wake of the increasing insecurity and instability in the sub-Region borne out of violent extremism and military interventions.
West Africa recorded more than 1,800 attacks in the first six months of 2023, says the ECOWAS Commission.
Those tragic incidents resulted in nearly 4,600 deaths with dire humanitarian consequences, which according to the Commission, was just “a snippet of the horrendous impact of insecurity”.
It is estimated that about half a million people in the 15-nation ECOWAS are refugees and nearly 6.2 million internally displaced.
German Chancellor Scholz indicated that “one of the concerning repercussions of the series of coups in the Sahel region is the slowing of cooperation between states in the Sahel and those of the Gulf of Guinea”.
Terrorists exploit any lack of unity and cooperation, he noted.
Consequently, he said, this made the Accra Initiative valuable as it fostered cross-border cooperation through intelligence sharing and joint partnership.
President Nana Akufo-Addo expressed the nation’s appreciation to Germany for the many years of continuous support.
He said this had helped to empower the nation in dealing with the potential threats posed by violent extremism.
He said the nation had resolved to entrench the Rule of Law and democratic accountability to enhance good governance.
GNA