Terrorist Attack: Ghana Government Official Raises Alarm, Says Threat Is Real
- Deputy Minister for Defence, Kofi Amankwa-Manu has cautioned the Ghanaian public to be vigilant as the threat of terrorist attack was imminent
- The deputy minister cited recent attacks on all of Ghana's neighbours as a major source of concern for the country
- The top government official's worries follow independent reports about the activities of terrorist groups that also warn Ghana faces a real threat
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A top Ghana government official at the Ministry of Defence has disclosed the threat of terrorists hitting the country is very real and has cautioned the public to be on high alert.
Deputy Defence Minister, Kofi Amankwa-Manu, revealed on Sunday, May 15, 2022, that all of Ghana’s neighbours have already been hit by terrorists in the past few months.
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The Minister explained that the latest attack on Togo, Ghana’s neighbour to the east that has been free from such attacks for many years, prompts deep concerns. In that attack, eight soldiers died and 13 were injured.
“We cannot sit and fold our arms thinking that all is well. All is not well. And we need to prepare. We need to be vigilant. We need to really, as we say in Ghana, ‘shine our eyes' the more. Because if you look around, all the countries around Ghana, in one way or the other have been hit. We are the only country left standing,” the deputy defence minister told Joy News.
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He lamented in the West Africa sub-region, Burkina Faso, Benin, Nigeria, Mali, and Niger have all experienced what he called the “bitter pill from these extremists.”
“…When you look at the southward movement of these [terrorist] groupings, clearly, one thing is obvious, they’re looking to find a coastal country,” he added.
The deputy minister, who is also the Member of Parliament for Atwima Kwanwoma in the Ashanti Region said after the attack on Cote d’Ivoire, “we in Ghana, must begin to, like I said, ‘shine our eyes’ and then really try to fight this crime.”
Already, the UK government's travel advice to its citizens states that terrorist attacks in Ghana can not be ruled out. UK's travel report on Ghana states that terror attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreigners.
"Terrorist groups associated with al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), the Islamic State of Libya and Islamic State West Africa (ISWA) present a threat in the region. These groups have demonstrated capability and intent by mounting attacks against security forces and civilians in several countries, most recently in Burkina Faso and Mali," the UK has said about the situation in the sub-region.
The UK warns its citizens to be vigilant in the northern areas of Ghana, particularly border areas and in busy public locations (including beach resorts, hotels, cafes, restaurants and places of worship) across the country.
Western Togoland, Bawku Conflict Increase Ghana’s Risk Of Terrorist Attacks – Report
In a related story, YEN.com.gh reported that a new study on Ghana’s exposure to violent extremism has revealed that the unending Bawku chieftaincy conflict and the unresolved challenge of Western Togoland separatists expose Ghana to terrorist attacks.
The West Africa Centre for Counter-Terrorism (WACCE) report said the numerous ethnic tensions in Northern Ghana remain a significant trigger of violent attacks on the country by terror groups.
According to the 2022 WACCE report on the “threat of violent extremism to coastal states,” generally, violent extremism was descending on Ghana and other coastal states from the troubled Sahel region.
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