U.S. to spend $200m on Ghana army

The United States (U.S.) government will be spending $200million in training and supplying equipment for the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), the U.S. Embassy in Ghana, has said.

This revelation comes in the wake of news on Tuesday, 20 March that Ghana’s Cabinet has approved an agreement granting access to the United States of America to establish a military base in Ghana. It also indicated that Ghana has also agreed to bear the cost and take primary responsibility for securing U.S. military facilities in the country.

According to the contract, Ghana has also granted U.S. contractors tax exemption. According to sources, the negotiation started in 2017 but was approved on Thursday, 8 March 2018.

This news attracted mixed reactions from a section of the Ghanaian public.

But the embassy in a statement on Tuesday, 20 March 2018, said “the United States Embassy wishes to underscore that the United States has not requested, nor does it plan to establish a military base or bases in Ghana.”

The statement further said: “The current Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) between the United States of America and the Republic of Ghana is approximately 20 years old. It does not cover the current range and volume of bilateral exercises and assistance.

“This year, the United States of America is investing over $200million in training and equipment for the Ghanaian armed forces. Ghana is also once again preparing to train U.S Forces as it did in 2017.

“The United States and Ghana are planning joint security exercises in 2018 which require access to Ghanaian bases by U.S participants and those from other nations when included. We refer all questions to the government of Ghana.”