US ready to help Africa deal with coups, violent security threats - AFRICOM chief

The United States of America (USA) is ready to support Ghana and other African countries to respond to security threats in the region, General Stephen J. Townsend, the Commander of the U.S. Africa Command has said.

He said the U.S Government had provided Ghana with equipment support, deploy training, research, and advisory teams against any political volatility.

General Townsend, speaking on Thursday during a digital press briefing, said the support had become necessary because Ghana was a longtime partner of the USA, and that it was important to ensure her peace and stability.

The press briefing follows the 2022 African Chiefs of Defense Conference, themed “Shared Investment for a Shared Future.”

The Commander expressed worry about the recent spate of violent extremism in Africa and called for concerted efforts and partnerships to curb the menace and rid the continent of such threats.

“We are not happy with the level of violent extremism in the East and West of Africa. It is expanding in the North of Africa even though there is progress in the Southern part of Africa,” he stated.

He said military forces alone could not defeat violent extremism on the continent and emphasised the need for good governance and diplomacy in addressing the challenges.

The U.S Government, the Commander said, would continue to prioritise human rights issues and uphold democratic values and ensure peaceful co-existence, especially in Africa.

He said rising armed conflict, deteriorating security, widespread poverty and the impact of climate change were posing a real threat to countries in the Central Sahel, stressing that attacks on civilians and infrastructure groups had led to massive population displacement across Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. 

General Townsend noted that all forcibly displaced people needed urgent life-saving assistance but most of them were hosted by communities that were often deprived and extremely vulnerable themselves.

He said the U.S Military had provided support to Central Sahel with intelligence, equipment, and training to address security issues.

The Commander said lack of good governance and corruption were causes of political instability in Africa, urging African leaders to institute proactive policies to solve the issues and ensure peace and harmony in the region.

In the past 18 months, in similar scenes, military leaders have toppled the governments of Mali, Chad, Guinea, Sudan and now, Burkina Faso.

GNA

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