In an address to the United States Institute of Peace on Thursday, the Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo delivered a call to action urging the formation of a “global coalition of democracies” to combat the alarming spread of violent extremist groups in West Africa. In a speech delivered in Washington D.C, President Akufo-Addo emphasized the urgent need for collaborative efforts in tackling the terrorism threat and underscored the importance of shared responsibility.
Akufo-Addo drew a stark comparison between the level of international assistance provided to Ukraine and that extended to West African democracies, highlighting the disparities. He stressed the necessity for a “coalition of the willing,” composed of democratic nations committed to eradicating the menace of terrorism and violent extremism. The President asserted that resources allocated for counter-terrorism must be commensurate with the resources available to the terrorist groups.
“The resources dedicated to counter-terrorism must match the resources available to the terrorist groups. The menace caused by terrorism is such that we must share the burden of the fight to be able to incapacitate the terrorists,” the President advised.
The situation in West Africa is dire, with terrorist groups holding sway over significant territories in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. In response to this threat, the United States and other Western allies have been exploring avenues to bolster the defenses of Ghana and other coastal West African states. However, Akufo-Addo contended that the assistance provided to West Africa has fallen significantly short of the support given to Ukraine.
He cited the staggering figures: US aid to Ukraine, since the Russian invasion in 2022, has reached $73.6 billion, with substantial contributions from the European Union and the United Kingdom, respectively $138.8 billion from and $14.5 billion according to his figures. In contrast, the combined aid from the European Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) amounted to a mere $29.6 million over the same period, Akufo-Addo said.
The head of state also addressed the controversial presence of French troops in the Sahel, former French colonies. Critics have accused these troops of failing to quell the escalating violence. Akufo-Addo expressed his belief that foreign troops need not be involved, advocating for West African troops to take charge. “Foreign troops would not have to be involved. West African troops can do the job. The Accra Initiative is a good example of indigenous self-help”, he hammered.
While Ghana has thus far been fortunate to avoid direct violence attributed to terrorists, neighboring countries such as Togo, Benin, and Ivory Coast have faced attacks near their borders in recent years.
