Send back Gitmo 2; Shia National Imam demands

The Imam of Shia Muslims in Ghana is calling on government to repatriate the two ex-Guantanamo Bay detainees currently in Ghana to any Middle Eastern country or elsewhere around the world.

A statement signed by the Imam, Sheikh Abubakar Ahmad Kamaludeen, stated that the existence of the two detainees in Ghana poses serious threats to the country’s security.

“These individuals may seek to reengage in insurgent activities once they get the opportunity owing to the experience they have acquired with terrorist organizations like the al-Qaeda,” he said

The Imam said it is unacceptable to accept such a risk in the name of consolidating bilateral ties between two countries.

According to him, had the two not been considered a threat, the United States of America would have been a better place for them to seek asylum.

“Our hospitality, compassion and kindness must not be extended to terrorists who have not undergone any de-radicalization orientation,” Sheikh Abubakar Ahmad Kamaludeen cautioned.

The group further expressed disappointment over the politicization of the issue which creates security challenges for the country.

“Terrorism is a global phenomenon that is as old as human industry, so when people try to stop or control it through politicization, it poses challenges.”

On January 24, 2017, Foreign Affairs Minister, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey told the Parliament of Ghana that the two are currently the responsibility of the country and have been granted refugee status.

The two – Mahmud Umar Muhammad Bin Atef and Khalid Muhammad Salih Al-Dhuby – arrived in Ghana in late 2015 under an “unconstitutional” arrangement between the governments of Ghana and United States of America.

The stay of the two Yemenis that was later ratified by Parliament in 2017 expired on January 6, 2018.

The Shia National Imam is therefore calling on government to find means by which the ex-detainees can be repatriated.