The government is only being proactive by engaging the United States government before the treaty for the hosting two Guantanamo Bay detainees which runs out in January 2018, according to the Vice Chairman of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Kweku Ampratwum Saropng.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Shirley Ayorkor Botchway on Tuesday informed Parliament, her Ministry and other stakeholders will work on an “exit plan” by the time their two-year stay in Ghana expires January 6, 2018.
The treaty was approved based on a recommendation by the Foreign Affairs Committee for the two to be resettled because amongst other reasons they were not a threat to the security of the country.
This position has drawn criticism from the Minority but speaking to Citi News, the Member of Parliament for Mampong in the Ashanti region intimated that government was on the right path with such a decision.
“I think the Minority is being a bit mischievous. The engagement with the US government is ongoing and we need to have this continuously, as to evaluate the whole arrangement from. By the time we get to January 2018, definitely, there will be a review of the situation and government would know the next step to take.”
According to the Former Deputy High Commissioner to India in the Kufuor regime indicated that the steps being taken by the government were in the right direction as dictated by the protocols of International relations.
Parliament on Tuesday 1st August ratified an agreement to allow the two Gitmo detainees stay in Ghana following a Supreme Court order. The court ruled that their stay in Ghana is unconstitutional without Parliament backing.
But a report presented to Parliament by the Foreign Affairs Committee said the two; Mahmud Umar Muhammad Bin Atef and Khalid Muhammad Salih Al-Dhuby should be allowed to stay in the country because they posed no threat.
When the matter came up for discussion, the House was informed that the agreements reached were through a Note Verbale and Memorandum of Understanding.
Source: citifmonline.com