GITMO 2 stuck on Ghana; Minister confirms no exit plan after hosting them

Foreign Affairs Minister, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey has revealed that Ghana did not have any explicit exit plan with the United States of America, with regards to hosting the ex-Guantanamo Bay detainees in the country.

This means the two, Mahmud Umar Muhammad Bin Atef and Khalid Muhammad Salih Al-Dhuby,  and their families become the responsibility of Ghana, she told Parliament on Wednesday.

They were in detention for 14 years after being linked with terrorist group Al-Qaeda and later controversially brought to Ghana following agreement with the US government under the country’s former leader, John Mahama in late 2015.

The two-year bilateral cooperation resettlement, which was ratified by Parliament in 2017 after the Supreme Court declared the initial agreement as unconstitutional, expired on January 6, 2018.

A meeting with the US Ambassador to Ghana, Robert P. Jackson confirmed to the government on January 10 that their stay in Ghana has indeed expired, the Foreign Affairs Minister said.

“It must be noted that no exit arrangement were originally discussed, between the two governments to end the bilateral arrangement at the time of negotiation,” Ayorkor Botchway told legislators.

“The US has also been clear in our discussions that per the agreement, returning them to  the United States is not an option open to discussion or negotiation,” she added.

“This means that all obligations relating to the two suspects have now become the responsibility of Ghana.”

More to follow

By Isaac Essel | 3news.com | Ghana

Foreign Affairs Minister, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey has revealed that Ghana did not have any explicit exit plan with the United States of America, with regards to hosting the ex-Guantanamo Bay detainees in the country. This means the two, Mahmud Umar Muhammad Bin Atef and Khalid Muhammad Salih Al-Dhuby,  and their families become the responsibility of … Read Full Story