News:
August 3, 2017
Parliament on Tuesday ratified an agreement for the 2 Gitmo to stay in Ghana after the Supreme Court order ruled that their stay in the country is unconstitutional without Parliamentary approval.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchway informed the House that, her ministry, interior and national security ministry will work on an “exit plan” by the time their two year stay in Ghana expires on January 6, 2018.
She further noted that there will be “no further obligation to keep Mahmud Umar Muhammad Bin Atef and Khalid Muhammad Salih Al-Dhuby unless the Ghana and the United States of America agree otherwise and in accordance with due process”.
Mahmud Umar Muhammad Bin Atef and Khalid Muhammad Salih Al-Dhuby of Yemeni origin are among 17 detainees transferred from the prison camp in Cuba by the United States.
The decision to host the detainees in Ghana provoked a firestorm of controversy and outrage among Ghanaians, with many expressing fear that the move would undermine Ghana’s internal security and expose the country to attacks from religious extremists.
Committee on foreign affairs in their report noted that the agreement will strengthen the bond between the government of Ghana and that of the United States of America.
By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com