PERSONNEL D’ADF
Northern Ghana has become a logistical base from which violent extremist organizations in Burkina Faso launch attacks against other regions, as they try to expand further into West Africa. Terrorists linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (Daesh) also use northern Ghana as a medical base where their wounded fighters are treated.
According to a new Reuters report, Ghanaian authorities turn a blind eye when terrorists come from Burkina Faso to stock up on food, fuel and explosives. While this approach has allowed Ghana to be spared the kind of deadly terrorist attacks that plague the Sahel, it risks allowing militants to establish themselves in the country and perhaps recruit new fighters from marginalized local communities. , according to observers.
Ghana is working with Burkina Faso to drive out terrorists, Boniface Gambila Adagbila, Ghana’s ambassador to Burkina Faso, told Reuters. The development underscores the fears of security analysts, who have warned for years that terrorist groups linked to Al Qaeda and Daesh are spreading to West African countries.
Seidik Abba, president of the CIRES research institute in Paris, told Reuters: “The two big veteran terrorist (groups) are gaining ground. The threat is spreading geographically. »
According to a report by the Center for Strategic Studies in Africa (CESA) published in July, the annual number of violent incidents linked to militant Sahel groups in coastal West African countries and within 50 km of their borders has increased by more than 250% in the last two years, to more than 450 incidents.
The Al-Qaeda-linked Support Group for Islam and Muslims (GSIM) is one of the region’s main terrorist groups. The Clingendael Institute (Netherlands Institute of International Relations) says in a report that GSIM is not launching attacks in Ghana because it does not want to disrupt supply lines or provoke the Ghanaian army, which is considered strong .
“But to avoid an outbreak, [le Ghana] also appears to have accepted a de facto non-aggression pact with the GSIM,” the institute states.
The Ghanaian security ministry denies this claim. In an October statement, he said there is no “non-aggression policy” or tacit agreement with militant groups. “The ministry categorically rejects the description of Ghana as a ‘supply route’ for militants. Ghana’s counterterrorism efforts are rightly praised by its partners in the relentless regional and global fight against terrorism. »
A high-ranking Ghanaian security official said anonymously that terrorists were monitored and sometimes used as informants. “We have arrested a large number of terrorists in the past and handed them over to Burkina Faso,” he told Reuters.
Benin is the African coastal country most affected by the expansion of violence. The number of deaths linked to Islamist violence in the country has doubled to 173 in the last twelve months, according to the CESA report. The percentage increase is similar to that of Togo, where the number of deaths reached 69.
Benin recorded its first incident of extremist violence in 2019, and the number of attacks by Sahelian terrorist organizations in Benin has increased every year since then: 20 attacks, mostly by GSIM but also by Daesh, in 2022; 40 attacks in 2023 according to The Defense Post.
Benin’s military says the country suffered the highest surge in extremist militant attacks in Africa last year, as terrorist groups from neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger increasingly target northern Benin , in particular the W-Arly-Pendjari complex of national parks. Between July 2023 and July 2024, the number of deaths due to extremist violence in Benin doubled compared to the previous twelve months, to reach 173, according to the CESA. In response, the Beninese government has intensified its military presence in border bases.
In Benin’s W National Park, terrorists killed at least seven members of Benin’s security forces and five forest rangers working with a nonprofit organization in July.
On July 20, the GSIM attacked a Togolese army barracks in the north of the country, near the border with Burkina Faso, killing six people and seizing weapons. At the time, GSIM also claimed responsibility for attacks during eight military operations in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, saying it had killed more than 22 soldiers in four days.
In April, Togolese President Faure Gnassingbé said jihadists had killed around 140 people, including 100 civilians, since their first attacks in Togo in late 2021.
Four people riding a tricycle in the town of Bonzougou, in the north-central part of the country, were killed in June when they ran over an improvised explosive device. Several terrorist groups are active in the Savanes region, although none of them claimed responsibility for the attack, according to a report in Togolese newspaper L’Alternative.
The Bonzougou attack took place further south than previous attacks in Togolese territory.
Interviewer: Major General Akakpo, what steps is Ghana taking to strengthen its counter-terrorism capabilities in light of the evolving threat from extremist groups?
Interview with two guests on the increasing threat of violent extremism in West Africa, particularly in Ghana and Benin as stated in the article.
Guest 1: Dr. Mohammed Adjei Sow, Regional Expert on Violent Extremism and Terrorism in West Africa
Guest 2: Major General Peter Akakpo, Head of Counter-Terrorism Unit for the Ghana Armed Forces
Interviewer: Today, we’re discussing the increasing threat of violent extremism in West Africa and the role that Ghana is playing in this region. To start, Dr. Sow, can you explain how Ghana has become a logistical base for violent extremist organizations like Al-Qaeda and Daesh in Burkina Faso?
Dr. Sow: Ghana’s strategic location has made it a major transit point for various criminal activities in West Africa, including terrorism. The vast land borders and porous nature of the country make it easy for terrorists to infiltrate and stock up on essential supplies such as food, fuel, and explosives. Moreover, Ghana’s relative stability compared to its neighbors has attracted extremist organizations seeking safe havens and medical treatment for their wounded fighters.
Interviewer: Major General Akakpo, the article suggests that Ghana has turned a blind eye to these activities. Can you explain why this approach has been taken, and how it affects Ghana’s security situation?
Major General Akakpo: We do not have a deliberate policy of turning a blind eye to terrorist activities within our borders. However, maintaining a strong military presence along the border and engaging in counter-terrorism operations can have unintended consequences such as provoking attacks on our soil. Additionally, by monitoring terrorist groups and using them as informants, we are able to disrupt their operations and prevent attacks within Ghana.
Interviewer: The article also mentions that Benin is suffering from increased attacks from terrorist groups expanding from Burkina Faso. Dr. Sow, what impact is this having on the region?
Dr. Sow: The expansion of terrorism into Benin raises concerns about the growing influence of violent extremist groups in West Africa. It not only threatens security but also hampers economic development and social coh
