Ghana slams Reuters report on jihadis finding refuge in its north
PHOTO CAPTION: A member of the Ghanaian Special Boat Squadron (SBS) is seen during a training exercise in Nutekpor-Sogakope, Ghana, Aug. 12, 2021. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. James Bourgeois via U.S. Defense Visual Information Distribution Service)
ACCRA (Reuters) - Ghana's government on Saturday rejected Reuters reporting on Islamist militants in Burkina Faso that found they are discreetly using neighbouring Ghana's north as a logistical and medical base to sustain their insurgency.
In a statement on Saturday, Ghana's security ministry said there were no "non-aggression policy" or tacit agreements with militant groups.
"The ministry strongly rejects the portrayal of Ghana as a 'supply line' for militants. Ghana's counter-terrorism efforts are rightly commended by her partners in the relentless regional and global fight against terrorism," the statement said.
It added that national security forces were actively engaged in counter-terrorism efforts, particularly along Ghana's northern border.
"The Government of Ghana, through its State Security and Intelligence agencies, conducts continuous operations to prevent any terrorist infiltration or cross-border movement of militants and has been doing so over the years with notable successes," the statement said.
Ghana shares a 600-km (372-mile) border with Burkina Faso, a country at the heart of an insurgency linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State that has killed thousands and displaced millions across West Africa's Sahel region south of the Sahara.
Insurgents have gained ground over the past 12 years despite costly foreign-backed military efforts to push them back.
The Reuters story cited seven sources, including Ghanaian security officials and regional diplomats, who said authorities in Ghana appeared to be mostly turning a blind eye to insurgents crossing over from Burkina Faso to stock up on food, fuel and explosives, as well as getting injured fighters treated in hospital.
Most of the sources asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue.
Ghana's Information Ministry had declined to comment for the story.
(Reporting by Christian Akorlie; Writing by Maxwell Akalaare Adombila; Editing by Sofia Christensen and Silvia Aloisi)
