ACCRA, Ghana
As extremist violence in West Africa´s Sahel region spreads south toward coastal states, the United States military has launched its annual military training exercise aimed at helping armies contain the jihadi threat.
Soldiers from several African
countries are being trained in counter-insurgency tactics as part of the annual
U.S.-led exercise known as Flintlock, that began this week.
Some 1,300 military personnel
from 29 countries are training in Ghana and Ivory Coast, amid surging jihadi
violence linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group that's killed thousands,
displaced millions and plunged countries into crises.
While most of the extremist
activity is concentrated in West Africa's inland Sahel region in Mali, Burkina
Faso and Niger, the violence is rapidly spreading to coastal states like Ghana,
which is experiencing an upsurge in attacks by unidentified groups, which could
have links to jihadis. Northern Ghana had just one violent incident connected
to an unidentified armed group in 2021 but that figure rose dramatically to 19
in 2022, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project.
This year´s U.S. Flintlock, a
two-week event, is taking place amid growing anti-French sentiment in West
Africa. Mali and Burkina Faso have ended their military cooperation with
France, complaining that the French military presence over several years has
done little to stem the growth of Jihadi violence. The military juntas ruling
Mali and Burkina Faso are now getting military support from Russia, and Mali is
also working with the private mercenary outfit, the Wagner Group.
The U.S. says it wants to help
African countries stem the extremist threat before it spreads further across
the the region.
A Ghanaian soldier performs in hook and climb drills during Flintlock 2023 on a Spanish frigate at Tema port, Ghana, Thursday, March 9, 2023. Some 1,300 military personnel from 29 countries are training in Ghana and Ivory Coast, amid surging jihadi violence linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group that's killed thousands, displaced millions and plunged countries into crises. (AP Photo/Misper Apawu)
"If the instability gets
too broad or too bad then it opens the aperture for other malign actors to try
and influence and try and corrupt the messaging to gain access to some of these
governments," said U.S. Col. Rob Zyla, deputy commander for Special
Operations Command Africa.
While the U.S. isn't expanding
the number of its soldiers in West Africa, U.S special operations forces will
continue to conduct joint trainings with partners based on their needs and
requests, he said.
For the first time at
Flintlock there is a site dedicated to maritime training where military forces
practice search and seizure and other tactics, in order to stave off the
growing threat of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.
Ghanaian military officials
say they worry jihadis will soon work with the pirates to make the waters
unsafe which would limit economic activity for the coastal countries.
"We already know that
they have intent to link up with piracy and enhance operations," said Col.
William Nortey with the Ghanaian army. "That would be a game changer for
the littoral (coastal) states so we need to prevent this at all costs," he
said.
As the extremist violence
spreads south, Ghana is investing money to beef up security along its border,
buying more than 100 armored personnel carriers, among other equipment, President
Nana Akufo-Addo said in his State of the Nation address this week.
"The reality of the state
of affairs in our neighborhood demands that the government goes to great
lengths to ensure the security, safety and stability of our nation," he
said. Ghana is also part of the Accra Initiative, a military platform involving
Burkina Faso and nearby coastal countries to battle the further spread of
extremism in the Sahel.
The spread of extremist
violence across the Sahel region shows that more than a military solution is
needed to prevent the insurgency from infecting the coastal area, regional
experts say.
Widespread poverty, high
inflation and the shortage of jobs for young men provide favorable conditions
for jihadi recruitment, said Rukmini Sanyal, a Ghana analyst for the Economist
Intelligence Unit.
"A worrying example is
the ongoing conflict (over chieftaincy) between the Mamprusi and Kusasi ethnic
groups in the Bawku region, in northern Ghana, wherein widespread
dissatisfaction could create space for militant infiltration," she said.
"(The) government needs to adopt a multi-pronged approach focused on
building community resilience alongside more traditional security
approaches," she said.
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