Ghana and Israel are facing similar geo-political challenges

Last weekend (29-30.1) Accra hosted the High-Level Consultative Conference on Regional Cooperation and Security. The raison d’etre of this conference was, to the best of my understanding, the concern from the spread of terror from the Sahel towards the states that are located north of the Gulf of Guinea. Indeed, the feeling among the participants, facing such a challenge, was that “the security architecture of west Africa is at a critical junction” as the president of Sierra-Leone put it.

Going through the Joint Communique published by the participants and some of their speeches, I am left with the deep understanding of the similarities of the Security challenges between West Africa and the Middle East in general and between Ghana and Israel in particular.

Ghana and Israel are two stable, pro-western democracies living in an unstable region. Both Ghana and Israel are two strong State Actors that are being challenged by strong Non-State Actors. Those Non-State Actors – known in less academic language as terrorists – are challenging the well-being and in Israel’s case even the actual being of the state.

Israel is facing many terror organizations simultaneously. The two main organizations that I would like to discusse here are Hezbollah in South Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza. Both those terror organizations – one Shia and one Sunni - are motivated by radical Muslim ideology that calls for the elimination of the Jewish state. Both are armed from head to toe. Both are being financed and supported by the Islamic Republic of Iran. Both were beaten badly by Israel during the last two years. Alas - both are still standing on their feet (albeit with some difficulties).

Hezbollah terrorists, who are known to many Ghana army officers from their service in UNIFIL (the UN peace keeping force in South Lebanon), were pushed by Israel to the northern side of the Litani River. However, they refuse to disarm despite demands from the sovereign Government of Lebanon and by the international community which relies on Security Council Resolution 1701 adopted in 2006 with the active support of Ghana which was a member of the Security Council at the time.

Hamas, after being beaten by Israel in the war that followed the 7^th of October massacre, and after facing some pressure from its own allies in the Arab and Muslim world, agreed to join the Trump 20 points peace plan that was meant to put an end to the war in Gaza. The plan demands the disarmament of Hamas. Once Hamas signed the plan, some were naïve enough to think that those terrorists are serious and do not intend to bluff the international community. Alas – they were bluffing and they had (and still have) no intention to disarm.

After the Israeli Defense Forces pulled back from the city of Gaza to the Yellow Line, that divides Gaza strip into two, Hamas terrorists were quick to re-establish their control over the city of Gaza using violence and terror against their own people – the Palestinians.

Much of the above-mentioned Conference on cooperation and security in West Africa, dealt with the need to find a holistic solution to the challenge of terror. Mainly the combination of military and diplomatic means and the need to stand together shoulder to shoulder in the face of violence and hatred.

Indeed, Israel made a significant military effort to curb the Hamas and its younger brother - The Palestinian Islamic Jihad, in Gaza. However, unless this effort will be supported by an adamant diplomatic campaign, driven by the international community, the challenge of Hamas – and the rest of the terrorists in West Africa and the Middle East – will not be met successfully and decisively.

Ghana enjoys currently a strong stance and a very clear voice among the international community – among the United Nations, the African Union, the Human Rights Council and many other international fora. Ghana, which is facing similar challenges to Israel in the war against terror - can and should sound a clear voice against terror and violence in all those international fora. Because at the end of the day there is no difference, whatsoever, between Boko Haram and JNIM who operates in West Africa and Hizballah and Hamas who operates in the Middle East.

A terrorist is simply a terrorist.