Since the Ghana Parliament passed a resolution last Friday night granting “unimpeded access” to the U.S. military in the country, angry protesters have taken to the streets against their own government they accuse of handing over sovereignty to a foreign government and its military.
Ghana’s Parliament voted to approve U.S. Military base in the country.
Some local politicians have condemned the bilateral military agreement as undermining Ghana’s sovereignty with others eve going as far as labelling it as a pretext to tap into the country’s oil resources.
U.S. Embassy Response
Protesters take part in demonstrations in Accra on March 28, 2018, against a Ghana-US defence cooperation agreement ratified by Parliament on March 23, 2018. Credit: AFP
The U.S. Embassy underscores that the United States has not requested, nor does it intend to request, the establishment of a military base in Ghana or the permanent presence of U.S. troops in Ghana. Reports alleging otherwise are inaccurate and misleading.
The Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA) between the governments of the United States of America and the Republic of Ghana is not a base agreement.
It is the legal framework to govern the ongoing security cooperation between our two sovereign countries; our security cooperation spans more than 20 years and has included numerous bilateral and multilateral training activities in Ghana.
The United States has a significant number of DCAs with countries around the world, including European, Asian and African partners.
The Defense Cooperation Agreement does not give the U.S. military the right to enter Ghana without permission from the Government of Ghana. Instead, the DCA addresses the rights and responsibilities of both nations when the U.S. military is present in Ghana, with permission from the Government of Ghana, and for purposes that the Government of Ghana decides are appropriate.
Furthermore, the principle of reciprocity observed between our two nations applies to provisions such as immunity and shipments. By establishing this expanded legal framework between our two countries, we underscore our respect for Ghana’s sovereignty as we seek to strengthen our cooperation on regional and global issues.
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