The government of Ghana has been advised to increase policing along the country’s borders as the threat of terrorism grows.
Editor of the Informer Newspaper, Andy Kankam posits the country’s land borders have become porous, making it a possible entry point for terrorists.
The Ministry of National Security issued a terrorist threat warning May 17. Officials cited security conditions in the region and recent attacks against neighboring countries and concluded that there was reason to believe that Ghana was being targeted. Authorities have requested heightened vigilance, including at mass gatherings and public and religious places, such as mosques and churches. No further precise intelligence was provided.
Increased security measures, including checkpoints, patrols, and random vehicle searches, are possible, notably in urban centers such as Accra. Localized transport disruptions could occur in areas with a heavy security presence.
The warning follows an attack by dozens of unidentified assailants against a security post along Togo’s border with Burkina Faso in Savanes Region overnight May 9-10 and an increase in attacks in northern Cote d’Ivoire in 2021 and Benin in 2022. Groups linked with Al-Qaeda and Islamic State (IS) have been implicated in these incidents. The threat of a further expansion southward into coastal West Africa, including Ghana, remains possible.
Speaking on the Editors’ Take discussion on the Happy Morning Show with Samuel Eshun, Andy Kankam said, “We need to be policing our borders and strengthening them all the time. Immigration Officers must be vigilante and make sure all gaps at our borders are secured.
Andy Kankam further stressed on the need for government to assign dedicated security personnel to man the land borders. “Unlike how we managed our borders during the COVID-19 pandemic, this time around we need to do it right and make sure Immigration Officials monitor and ensure our land borders are airtight.” Follow us on Twitter: @happy989fm
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