In West Africa, the international locations of the Gulf of Guinea worry a jihadist an infection. The presence of terrorist cells in southern Burkina Faso worries border states: Benin, Ivory Coast, Togo and Ghana. On this context, Ghana, an English-speaking nation surrounded by French-speaking neighbors, is deepening its army cooperation with Paris. About forty troopers from the nation’s elite items have simply acquired coaching in city fight, supplied by the French components stationed in Senegal (EFS).
From our particular correspondent in Accra,
It is carbon black. A small group of troopers stroll discreetly between the buildings in a resort advanced. Every thing is quiet, the Ghanaian instructions solely talk with gestures. This night takes place the final train of “native battle”. The 2-week course happened in Asutsuare, about 100 kilometers from Accra, the Ghanaian capital. The coaches come from the French components in Senegal (EFS), which cross the area with the mission to share their operational data. Captain Jean-François describes the maneuver: “Tonight the objective is to take a goal the place an enemy has been found. About ten Ghanaian personnel will help themselves, in order that a second group then manages to grab the place and destroy the enemy. A reasonably easy however very practical train through which Ghanaian instructions take part.
Some have already been concerned within the northern border of their nation or in UN peacekeeping operations in Mali or Lebanon. They know that their Ghana can face a jihadist assault tomorrow. “The rise of terrorism is a menace that have to be foreseen. We would love to by no means be confronted with that, however as a soldier you’ve got to prepare onerous to be prepared, and if it occurs right here, to have the option to defend our nation and our individuals, ”explains Employees Sergeant Delali from the Ghanaian armed forces. forces. In the course of the train, a soldier carrying faux blood permits himself to be injured underneath an empty bullet. Tourniquet tour, compression bandage. Each second counts for first support in battle. “It’s concrete, as on the bottom,” confirms Corporal Abdul Karim, “these reflexes, we is not going to overlook them.”
Northern border surveillance
Ghana has by no means been focused, however the danger is actual and the authorities know it, says Levinia Addae Mensah, program supervisor for Wanep, West African Peacebuilding Community, in Accra: themselves, with assaults typically happening inside 10 km of our border with Burkina Faso. It has additionally occurred just lately within the Ivory Coast. In Ghana, authorities companies have prioritized the situation of extremism and sought options to place in place mechanisms to mitigate its results. ”
Protection cooperation has just lately been established between Ghana and France. It is a request from the Ghanaian authorities, explains Anne-Sophie Avé, French Ambassador to Accra: “Ghana was certainly one of the final West African international locations with which France had no protection cooperation. In 2019, following the go to of President Nana Akufo-Addo to Paris, a letter of intent was signed to enter into cooperation on this discipline with France. The Ghanaians had been notably impressed with how we carried out launch of hostages from Pendjari Park (in northern Benin, in Could 2019, the editor’s comment), she emphasizes. This served as a set off, each to consider a terrorist who might method their territory, but in addition the necessity to make the most of this experience and this high quality of French intervention, from this “French contact” within the protection. We imagine that cooperation have to be based mostly on intelligence after which developed on operational intervention capabilities, whether or not in city areas or in varied specialties corresponding to taking pictures, first support or demining. “
Intelligence
As early as 2017, Ghana and its French-speaking neighbors – Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast and Togo – had launched Accra initiative, a mechanism to strengthen cooperation. “Terrorists are upon us and we don’t face the specter of typical struggle. The precedence have to be to share info with our neighbors. We’re all apprehensive, we want to trade info. It really works, however it could possibly be improved, says Lieutenant Colonel Luri, Assistant Particular Forces Adviser to the Ghanaian Military’s Normal Employees.
However the Sahel expertise reveals that so as to stop jihadist an infection, the reply can’t simply be a safety one. “Neighborhood organizations have to be included in prevention and consciousness, however it should additionally be crucial to consolidate some capability and strengthen resilience, so as to keep away from recruitment, in order that the inhabitants doesn’t help the jihadists. The state should discover the means to associate with civil society to implement a preventive technique. As a part of an early warning system, indicators may help sign threats of violent extremism. Generally individuals really feel that issues are occurring, however they have no idea what to do with the data. It’s going to be crucial to create a framework for session and dialogue at Neighborhood degree the place people really feel safe sufficient to have the option to share delicate info associated to actions or threats. It will allow safety companies to assemble intelligence, concludes Wanep’s Levinia Addae-Mensah.
Closing ceremony
Return to Asutsuare. The tip of schooling from the French components in Senegal. Grasp Damien is happy. The train happened underneath good situations. In Dakar, he’s a deputy for the ETUC’s regional cooperation unit. For him, the French method enhances the coaching of different overseas companions. Israel, the US and the UK are additionally current in Ghana by means of safety or protection coaching. “We’re constructing a low wall, everyone laying his brick on it,” admits the French officer. “Within the western camp, we’ve kind of the identical manner of working, the identical objectives, and all of us comply with NATO requirements, however after all everybody has their very own paws, and that’s due to this fact complementary. We’ll current the French methodology to the Ghanaian army after which they’ll see how they will adapt our procedures. The Ghanaian troopers are understanding their idea for particular forces, so that they strive to take what’s greatest in the assorted items – overseas – so as to then have the option to construct their doctrine. “Different programs are deliberate till the tip of the yr. The objective: that the educated components in flip turn out to be formators.
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