President Akufo-Addo, has engaged the United States of America on the need to resolve the jihadist insurgency in the Sahel region. The President, in a meeting with the US Deputy Secretary of State, Kurt M. Campbell, at Jubilee House on Monday, July 15, 2024, indicated that the preoccupation of Ghana was tackling the unrest on the African continent.
He emphasised that the security challenge was not far from the rest of the continent that was not experiencing it at the moment, as the people were targeting the coast.
“The most important matter confronting us here is the jihadist insurgency in the Sahel. That’s the biggest security challenge confronting virtually all the states in West Africa. Initially, some were under the impression that this would be a phenomenon confined to the Sahel. Of course, it was never going to be the case,” he said.
The President continued: “These are people who are looking, in fact, to reach the coast. And our nightmare is the situation whereby the insurgents in the Sahel link up with the pirates in the Gulf of Guinea to destabilise the entire region. So, finding means, working towards how to resolve the security situation in the Sahel is a major security preoccupation of our country and indeed of the ECOWAS region generally.”
ELECTIONS
He indicated that his government was making efforts to make sure that the election at the end of the year maintains the reputation of Ghana as a beacon of democracy on the African continent.
The goal, he stated, was to have a free and fair election and that the will of the Ghanaian people would be expressed in December for the new President and the new Parliament.
GRATITUDE
On behalf of the people of Ghana, President Akufo-Addo expressed appreciation to the people of America for “the assistance and support that America has traditionally given to us via the Electoral Commission and other institutions towards being able to manage a credible electoral process. And we’re looking forward to working with you again to ensure that result.”
ENGAGEMENTS
The US Deputy Secretary of State, Kurt M. Campbell, whose remarks preceded those of President Akufo-Addo, said he had the opportunity to meet with key business people and financial folks.
“We’ve had a chance to engage with your national security team. We’ve had an opportunity to meet young, tech-savvy Ghanaians and West Africans,” he remarked.
According to him, he and the delegation had visited Ghana on a mission from the President of the United States, Joe Biden, the National Security Advisor, and the Secretary of State, “to make clear to you we want to work constructively in really every area that is important to Ghana going forward.”
TOUR
Mr. Kurt M. Campbell is on a tour to Ghana, Gabon, Senegal and the United Kingdom from July 14 to July 19, 2024.
He is in Ghana, Deputy Secretary Campbell, to underscore the importance of the U.S-Ghana partnership to advance democracy and security in West Africa and to reinforce two-way trade and investment ties to bolster mutual prosperity.
In a statement on Monday, July 15, 2024 the US Department of State said that in Gabon, Deputy Secretary Campbell will meet with leaders of Gabon’s transition government and will advance the security partnership between the United States and Gabon, including their shared interest in regional stability and maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea.
In Senegal, he will meet with President Bassirou Diomaye Faye to underscore their shared dedication to democracy and good governance, economic growth, and regional security.
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