Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama has urged Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger to open their doors to international partners in the fight against terrorism, calling for stronger regional security cooperation.
Speaking at the Financial Times Africa Summit in London, Mahama said Ghana’s collaboration with the United Kingdom, Germany, France and the United States had strengthened its counterterrorism efforts through intelligence sharing and joint training.
He urged the three members of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) to allow countries willing to help combat militant violence to contribute.
Mahama also called for a new framework for regional cooperation to help West African countries respond more effectively to terrorism and other security threats.
Since the formation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have progressively distanced themselves from several Western partners, particularly France, as they pursue a foreign policy centred on national sovereignty and closer ties with alternative international partners.
