Kofi Ampeah Woode
The European Union (EU) has presented civil engineering equipment, advanced communication systems and riverine assets to support the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), to be used in conducting social interventions for its civilian population, securing vulnerable borders, and countering threats to national security.
The military equipment presented to GAF, in the forenoon at the forecourt of the Headquarters of GAF’s 49 Engineer Regiment (49 Engr Regt), Burma Camp, Accra, on Wednesday 26 February 2025, forms part of a Fifty Million Euro (€50 million) package, and follows 105 militarized vehicles earlier presented to GAF in 2023, under the same set.
Presenting his remarks as the Guest of Honour in place of the Commander-In-Chief (C-In-C), Mr Prosper Douglas Bani – Ghana’s National Security Advisor said the presented equipment will serve as a vital reinforcement to Ghana’s security infrastructure, enhancing the country’s ability to address emerging security challenges.
Describing West Africa’s security landscape as growing increasingly complex, he asserted that the rise of violent extremist groups, the expansion of transnational organized crime networks, and the persistent threat of cross-border instability, pose grave challenges to collective peace and security.
He furthered that the threats endanger national security, disrupt livelihoods, weaken communities, and impede economic progress, and that addressing them requires military preparedness, and a capacity to support affected populations.
He concluded that the communication systems will enhance coordination, intelligence-sharing, and rapid response capabilities, ensuring troops operate more efficiently; with the riverine assets improving security along waterways, curbing illicit activities and facilitating emergency response in remote communities.
Additionally, he said, the civil engineering equipment will enable the military to carry out critical social interventions, such as infrastructure rehabilitation and disaster relief efforts, reinforcing government’s commitment to serving and protecting the civilian population.
EU’s Ambassador to Ghana – Mr Irchad Razaaly said today’s strategic environment demands a strong message of commitment to stronger partnerships, to safeguard peace and stability, and that Ghana and the EU are united, steadfast in commitment to multilateralism, the defence of shared values, and the collective security of their peoples, as threats they both face are intrinsically interconnected, thus requiring a response that reflects this unity.
Violent extremism (VE) and organized crime transcend borders, and if left unchecked, he continued to state, they threaten to unravel the stability that has been worked tirelessly at, to secure.
Referencing the total defence package of the EU to Ghana, Mr Razaaly said numerous interactions have taken place between the two parties to fine-tune the list of the equipment, making sure it adequately responds to Ghana’s needs and requests, and that additional equipment will be delivered to Ghana throughout 2025 and 2026.
He however, prescribed that military strength alone is insufficient to prevent violence and conflict, for security, he said, builds upon resilience, strong institutions, economic opportunity, and social stability.
Touting Ghana’s unwavering commitment to democracy, and offering a powerful lesson for all, including in Europe, Ambassador Razaaly said the EU military pack covers the whole spectrum of security, and supports more than 30 peace and security projects across Ghana, and much more across the West African sub-region.
The spectrum covers from conflict prevention and mediation to border management, counter terrorism, cyber security, maritime security, and the fight against disinformation, and the EU has invested in border management, local conflict prevention, and economic development, with a bilateral allocation of 339 Million Euros.
Ghana’s Defence Minister – Dr Edward Kofi Omane Boamah said through his welcome address that the Eight Hundred Million Ghana Cedis (GH¢800 million) – equivalent of the Fifty Million Euro (€50 million) military package, buttresses a bond between Ghana and the EU in mutually shared values of democracy, human security, peace and stability underpinned by military deterrence, secured borders and regional security, combining military readiness with social resilience.
Dignitaries present included the Chief Director, National Security Council Secretariat –Ambassador Sena Siaw-Boateng; Chief Director, Ministry of Defence – Mr Lawoettey Tettey; Chief of the Defence Staff, GAF – General Thomas Oppong-Peprah; Chief of the Army Staff, Ghana Army – Lieutenant General Bismarck Kwasi Onwona; Chief of the Naval Staff, Ghana Navy – Vice Admiral Issah Adam Yakubu; Generals and Senior Officers of GAF, and an array of Members of Ghana’s Diplomatic Community.
By Kofi Ampeah-Woode
