President Akufo-Addo says he has no information on the presence or otherwise of troops of militant organisation, Al-Qaeda in Ghana.
He said this while hosting the Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris at the Jubilee House.
This followed questions posed by a journalist who works with the New York Times at a press conference held as part of Madam Harris’ three-day visit to the country.
“The presence of Al-Qaeda in Ghana? I don’t know. Formally, we don’t have any information to that effect, it may well be that there are cells and others already in the country, but those are matters that the security agencies are very much on top of and we are hoping that there will be no Al-Qaeda presence in Ghana,” he said this on Monday, March 27, 2023.
“That has to be the wish of anybody who is a friend of this country and wishes the Ghanaian people well,” he added.
The President also expressed the country’s concern over the possible presence of extremist groups, adding that security is being tightened accordingly.
He further explained that amidst all these, Ghana would prefer to tackle its security problems on her own without the interference of a foreign body.
“We want to be in a position to resolve our own security problems ourselves as much as possible, without the intervention of foreign troops,” he said.
The Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris, touched down in Accra on Sunday, March 26, 2023.
She was in the company of her husband, Douglas Emhoff and other top officials in the US government.
Madam Harris was met by Ghana’s Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia at the Kotoka International Airport amid traditional drumming and cheers from some school pupils.
From Accra, her next stop will be Tanzania and Zambia.
