Mahama urges AES countries to open up to international support in fight against terrorism

President John Dramani Mahama has called on Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, the three members of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), to embrace international support in their fight against terrorism.

He said stronger cooperation between countries and international partners was essential to addressing the growing security threats confronting West Africa.

Speaking in an interview at the Financial Times Africa Summit in London, President Mahama cited Ghana’s security partnerships with the United Kingdom, Germany, France and the United States as an example of how international cooperation can strengthen counterterrorism efforts.

He said Ghana shares intelligence and conducts joint training with its international partners as part of efforts to combat violent extremism.

“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 said the AES countries could benefit from adopting a similar approach by allowing countries willing to support their counterterrorism efforts to contribute.

He also called for a new framework for regional cooperation to enable West African countries to respond more effectively to terrorism, violent extremism and other emerging security threats.

The President stressed that a coordinated regional approach would be crucial to strengthening security and addressing the challenges facing countries across West Africa.