President John Dramani Mahama has urged members of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) to accept international assistance in the fight against terrorism, stressing the need for stronger cooperation to address growing security threats in West Africa.

He said Ghana’s experience in working with international partners, including the United Kingdom, Germany, France and the United States, demonstrates the importance of collaboration in tackling violent extremism.

Speaking in an interview at the Financial Times Africa Summit in London, President Mahama said Ghana shares intelligence and conducts joint training with its partners to strengthen its counterterrorism efforts.

He urged the AES countries, comprising Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, to adopt a similar approach by allowing countries willing to support the fight against terrorism to contribute.

“So in Ghana, we work with the UK, we work with Germany, we work with France, we work with US. We share intelligence, we do training together, you know. So I believe that the AES countries should open up so that anybody who’s interested in assisting in the fight against terrorism should be able to do so,” he said.

President Mahama also stressed the need for a new framework for regional cooperation to help West African countries respond more effectively to violent extremism and other security challenges.

Source: Citinews