Some special forces are anticipated to arrive in Ghana following the departure of about 300 British soldiers from Mali due to tense relations with Bamako over the use of Russian mercenaries in the battle against terrorist organisations in the Sahel.
According to a report from the UK’s “The Telegraph,” seen by GhanaWeb, British ministers are also anticipated in Accra to negotiate a new security deal that will place Burkina Faso and Ghana as the new frontline against terrorism.
It’s not clear if the action is only a face-saving measure after the closure of the Mali mission, or if it has more significance given that British military already train troops in Ghana.
The Accra Initiative had the participation of Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Cote d’Ivoire in 2017. This partnership seeks to prevent Sahelian insecurity from crossing their boundaries.
On Monday, November 14, reports surfaced that the UK will be removing all of its personnel from Mali, which Whitehall officials had been referring to as “the new frontline of the battle on terror” up until recently.
Former Africa Minister Rory Stewart, who championed the so-called “pivot to the Sahel” under Prime Minister Theresa May, was scathing about the real purpose of the Ghana trip, suggesting it was no more than a face-saving operation.
“We struggled to maintain 300 troops in Mali, partly because it cost perhaps as much as a hundred million pounds from tightly stretched budgets,” he told The Telegraph. “I fear that the ‘pivot to Ghana and Burkina Faso’ is largely a way of excusing our retreat from the Sahel and will ultimately add up to less than people pretend.”
“We have been worrying about Burkina Faso for some time. But without an embassy there or any significant investment, there is a real limit to what the UK can do,” Stewart added.
