Jan 16, 2013 at 7:56am

A Senior Research Fellow at the Legon Centre for International Affairs at the University of Ghana, Dr. Vladimir Antwi-Danso has revealed Ghana cannot and could not have remained indifferent in sending troops to Mali to control the Islamist rebel groups  in Northern Mali.

“We have no choice, we can't be indifferent, we are part of the ECOWAS and ECOWAS means integration ; once you sign on to an international treaty you have to obey its tenets and you are part of it.”

According to Dr. Antwi- Danso Ghana remains indifferent to our own detriment. “You remain indifferent to fire near your house to your own detriment, so you've got to help the other neighbour to dash the fire and so Ghana has no choice than to be part to what ECOWAS is saying.”

He also cautioned that Ghana should be security alert in anticipation of any heat if the Islamist decide to turn the heat on countries providing troops. “The security should be alert, it is not only the adjoining countries; Baukina Faso, Mauritania and others that should be very much worried, all other countries because the
insurgents could try to operate from any other country.”

“Ghanaians are not security conscious, we have not been able to imbibe in the ordinary Ghana the alertness of security. We don't have to let down our security alert.”

Meanwhile another security expert,the Executive Secretary of the West African Network for Peace Building, Ghana (WANEP) Dr. Emmanuel Bombande has stated that countries in the ECOWAS sub region should work towards curbing the extremism which is rapidly spreading the sub region.

According to him, that will prevent a replica of the Mali crisis in other ECOWAS countries.

“Extremism is spreading in the sub region and so we must as well confront it beginning with our own nation’s stake…rather than say that if we engage them, then we are going to suffer the consequences when we are already suffering the consequences except that it is in varying degrees.”


By : Citifmonline.com/Ghana