Don’t do it Mr President – sending troops is a bad idea

President John Evans Atta Mills on Tuesday July 27 said Ghana would consider contributing troops to the Africa Union Mission in Somalia following a request made by the 15th Summit of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government in Kampala, Uganda.

Ghana is not the only country mulling over sending troops to Somalia to shore up the AU mission in Somalia which is in dire need of troops and equipment. Our country has a long standing tradition of contributing troops to peace keeping efforts in trouble torn countries across the world, but this is a different kind of war.

It is important to point out that it would be a very big mistake for the President to commit our troops to this mission and expose Ghanaians to terror attacks in our backyard even if we have troops and logistics available (the only basis upon which we would get involved).

It is a bad idea and our security forces at home do not have the capability to deal with the more sophisticated terrorist group who are linked to Al Qaeda.

First of all the recent Ugandan twin bombings, which Al shabab claimed responsibility for killed several people who were watching the World Cup final match between Spain and the Netherlands in Kampala - some reports put the number of dead at more than two hundred.
The terrorists had earlier warned Uganda and Burundi they would be attacked for contributing troops to an African Union peace keeping operation in Somalia.
The important fact is that AQIM, who are al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, are busy forging alliance with al Shabab across the whole of the Sahel and Sahara. That makes them a potent force.
In November 2009, Ghana renditioned three AQIM guys to the US who were caught dealing in massive drugs to fund their activities. Now if Ugandans have been bombed and Ghana chases AQIM and also trains peacekeepers for Somalia, Army and Police from wide afield as Sierra Leone and Liberia, then by inference we will be sitting ducks.

I don’t think it is in the interest of the country to send troops to Somalia. Our levels of preparedness are not up to the task of fighting a terrorist group as potent as AQIM.

It would be fatal and put Ghanaians in a very unsafe position. I must point out that a terrorist threat on any of the 53 AU countries is a war on all of Africa. We must not capitulate to intimidation and threats by groups like Al Shabab or AQIM. However we must ensure that we have the right mechanisms in place to repel or deal with threats inside Ghana. There are other options available but sending troops will simply make Ghanaians less safe.