The Vice President, Mr K. B. Amissah-‐Arthur, on Tuesday called for greater cooperation on intelligence gathering and information-‐sharing in the West African sub-‐region.
According to Mr Amissah-‐Arthur, it is imperative for countries such as Mali, Nigeria, Togo, Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire, Niger, Ghana and Nigeria to collaborate and stop religious fundamentalism and other criminal activities.
The Vice President made the call when he called on the President of Mali, Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, in Bamako to present a special message from President John Dramani Mahama, following last week’s attack on the Radisson Blu hotel in Bamako.
22 people lost their lives when gunmen took 170 guests at the hotel hostage. Malian Special Forces and international troops stormed the hotel to free guests and staff.
Mali has declared three days of mourning for the victims of the attack. Presenting the special message from the President of Ghana, Vice President Amissah-Arthur, who described the attack on the hotel as “shocking”, said “the government and people of Ghana offer their condolence, support and solidarity to the government and people of Mali in the wake of last week’s attack in Bamako”.
He said Ghana, Guinea and Mali have long historic ties and it is therefore important to commiserate with the people and stand by Mali in difficult times.
For his part, the President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, thanked President Mahama for sending a high level delegation to commiserate with the government and people of the Mali.
He said “what happened in Mali was a horrible event” and “it is time for our security services to work together because we are faced with the same threats“.
The Vice President was accompanied by the National Security Advisor Ambassador Baba Kamara, the Chief of the Army Staff Major General Richard Kwame Opoku-‐Adusei and the Director-‐General of the Research Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr Joe Ackon.
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