The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) is to undertake a joint military operation to curtail the spread of terrorism from the Sahel region towards the coastal states, including Ghana.
The operation, code-named ‘Operation Enhanced Kundalngou,’ will see the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, and Benin mount a robust defence along the northern frontiers of the collaborating countries to bolster security in the operational area.
The Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS), Vice Admiral Seth Amoama, disclosed this during a working visit to the Military Training camp at Daboya in the Savannah region.
Terrorists have increased their activities in the Sahel. Various armed groups now control large swathes of land in Burkina Faso and Mali. These groups have turned Mali and Burkina Faso into theatres of violence, attacking and killing civilians and security personnel on a daily basis.
In the last two years, they have also made incursions into Benin, Togo and Ivory Coast, attacking, kidnapping and killing people.
Security analysts believe the goal of the terrorists is to capture southern states, including Ghana. So far, all of Ghana’s neighbours, including Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast and Togo, have suffered attacks.
The development has put the Ghana Armed Forces on high alert.
The Force has been undergoing a month-long multinational training exercise with the US Army in Ghana and Morocco.
Code named Operation African Lion, the initiative seeks to sharpen the skills of personnel of the Ghana Armed Forces to deal with the growing threat of violent extremism.
As part of the training, a simulation exercise was carried out at the Daboya Military Training camp, where the Ghana Army successfully ambushed and neutralized a terrorist attack on the camp.
The Chief of Defence Staff, Vice Admiral Seth Amoama, who monitored the operation, expressed satisfaction with the performance of the personnel.
The leader of the American troops taking part in the Operation at Daboya, Lieutenant Colonel John Erwin on his part, was full of praise for the personnel.
He charged Ghanaians to ”be vigilant and share information on suspicious persons or activities to the appropriate quarters.”
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