US Vice President Kamala Harris hailed Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo for his “democratic principles” during a meeting with the West African leader, who’s experiencing mounting anger over inflation and increasing fears about regional security.
As part of a deliberate attempt to increase US outreach at a time when China and Russia have established interests of their own in Africa, Harris has recently started a week-long tour to the continent that will also take her to Tanzania and Zambia.
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The vice president was welcomed into the Jubilee House, the presidential palace of Ghana, where she pledged support for the country’s security and expanded investments while announcing $100 million in US aid to the area.
She addressed the president after their meeting, saying, “under your leadership, Ghana has been a beacon of democracy and a contributor to global peace and security.”
Before the COVID-19 outbreak, Akufo-Addo presided over one of the most rapidly expanding economies in the world. However, prices for food and other needs have been rising rapidly, and the nation is in debt because it is finding it difficult to make payments.
Akufo-Addo urged cooperation as nations like Ghana seek to get their economy back on track at the meeting with Harris. He also voiced concerns about the fact that American private investors frequently ignore the country.
We want to have the ability to alter that dynamic, he declared. He claims that the two countries’ summit had enhanced the unshakable collaboration.
Additionally, there has been an uptick in an irregular conflict in Ghana’s north, which borders the more unstable Burkina Faso and the Sahel, where local affiliates of al-Qaida and the Islamic State group have been active.
Akufo-Addo referred to terrorism as a “poison” that was disrupting West Africa’s stability and spreading throughout the continent.
He spoke to the vice president as they were in a conference room at the palace, their delegations sat on each side of a large table. “We’re spending a lot of sleepless nights trying to make sure we’re protected here,” he said.
After their discussion, Akufo-Addo addressed the media and expressed his worry for terrorist organizations while denying that he had official confirmation that al-Qaida was operating in the country.
He said that he was concerned about the Wagner Russian mercenary group spreading its influence in the area.
Akufo-Addo stated, “It raises the very real possibility that once again our continent is going to become the playground for a great power conflict.”
Akufo-Addo downplayed any concerns about China’s influence in the area, saying his country had links with several nations, including the United States, and they were different from one another.
“The relationship with America is a relationship that has been close over several decades,” he noted.
Given the strong party divisions over the federal budget, some of Harris’ proposed funds will need to be approved by Congress, which might be challenging. To assist Accra in managing its massive debt, the Treasury Department also intends to send a consultant there.
Other initiatives aim to decrease child labor, enhance weather forecasts, aid local artists, and prevent illness outbreaks.
In an effort to strengthen their defenses, the US has already dispatched troops to train the military of Ghana and other nations. However, other nations have resorted to Wagner, which was present in Africa as well as on the front lines of Russia’s conflict in Ukraine.
