International Community Can't Decide Ghana's Foreign Policy...- Kwesi Pratt

Kwesi Pratt, Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, has bemoaned the decision by the Government of Ghana to accept two Gitmo detainees into the country.

Kwesi Pratt expressed disgust over Ghana’s international relations with foreign countries which to him, is gradually becoming very appalling.

The seasoned journalist and socio-economic commentator, addressing the issue regarding the detainees in Ghana, quizzed the government about the involvement of Ghanaians in the decision-making process ahead of the transfer of the prisoners.

He asked about the negotiations that ensued between the two countries – Ghana and America – that necessitated the transfer of the detainees to the nation.

I think there’s a certain dignity – national dignity – which needs to be protected. We need to protect our independence and sovereignty. The only way to do that is for us to think about the request that somebody makes from another country and so on within the context of Ghanaian interest. First and foremost, Ghanaian interest; what do Ghanaians desire? What do Ghanaians believe is in their good interest?

He noted that “international Community does not decide our foreign policy. We decide our own foreign policy and how to implement our own foreign policy.

How can we do that to ourselves as a people? We don’t respect ourselves. How possible is it that an American can come here and can commit murder, rape, steal or do anything he or she likes but in Ghana, we have signed a treaty that we cannot arrest the person and try him or her? But let a Ghanaian go to America and commit any wrong…I think we should be careful. We should be very [very] careful about how we conduct international relations or no one will respect us,” he said on Peace FM’s Kokrokoo.