General News of Monday, 29 January 2018

Source: yen.com.gh

Government embarks on mission to kick Gitmo two out of Ghana

Khalid Mohammed Salih al-Dhuby and Mahmoud Omar Mohammed Bin Atef Khalid Mohammed Salih al-Dhuby and Mahmoud Omar Mohammed Bin Atef

The stay of the Gitmo detainees has got government talking with some countries who could take care of the detainees.

Parliament had earlier been briefed by the foreign affairs minister on the reason why the Gitmo detainees can’t be repatriated from Ghana.

The minister revealed that the secret documents the erstwhile NDC administration signed with the US “ties government’s hands” against sending the detainees away.

According to Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, even though the government was prepared to send away the detainees, existing agreement with the US indicates that America will not be receiving the ex-detainees.

Speaking to Joy FM, minister for information, Mustapha Hamid revealed that government is currently engaging some “undisclosed” countries on the possibility of receiving Muhammad Bin Atef and Khalid Muhammad Salih Al-Dhuby.

“At this stage, we don’t want to put out names, but certainly we are in touch with countries, but because those talks are not conclusive, it is not correct diplomatically to begin to say we are talking to Togo or Israel or whatever, whatever,” the minister stated.

Foreign Affairs Minister, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey told Parliament last week that government finds it difficult to repatriate the two due to the refugees status selves’, the government has no “basis to expel them”, the minister stated.

Meanwhile, editor-in-chief of the New Crusading Guide, Kweku Baako, has revealed that the interior ministry under the Mahama administration viciously stood against the accommodation of the Gitmo two.

According to him, intercepted letters to the former president warned that the accommodation of Khalid Mohammed Salih al-Dhuby and Mahmoud Omar Mohammed Bin Atef could have negative political and national security impact on the erstwhile NDC administration but the president nonetheless gave approval for their stay here in Ghana.