…And Cautions Foreign Nationals & Refugees Not to Abuse Ghanaian Hospitality!

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration has cautioned foreign nationals in the country, particularly Ivorian refugees not to take the leniency and hospitality of the Ghanaian Government to create tension with her neighbouring countries.

A statement issued on April 11, 2012 by the Ministry said: “Some persons from Cote d’Ivoire in Ghana are engaged in activities which undermine the government’s commitment to good neighbourliness, peace and stability in the sub-region.”

“It must be noted that one of the cardinal tenets of Ghana’s foreign policy is non-interference in the internal affairs of its neighbours”, the statement continued, adding that, “While Ghana will continue to accord its traditional hospitality to citizens from the world over, it will not countenance the use of its territory for activities that are intended or likely to cause tension and confusion in any country.”

The Ministry’s statement comes on the heels of a publicised conference which had been planned for Tuesday, April 10, 2012, at the Accra International Conference Centre which this paper’s confidential source confided was cancelled by National Security.

According the source, the organisers of the conference were pro-Gbagbo forces and some Ivorian refugees in the country who had planned the event to commemorate the first anniversary of the ousting of former President Laurent Gbagbo from office.

The source further indicated that the abrupt cancellation of the conference by the Ghanaian authorities was tailored to dispel the perception of the Ouattara government that some elements in the Ghanaian administration are pro-Gbagbo, and may have allowed the conference to have gone ahead which would have given credence to that perception.

However, the Ministry has signaled to all persons resident in Ghana, including refugees, not to abuse the country’s hospitality, while maintaining that Ghana cherishes the excellent relationship with Cote d’Ivoire; adding that Government is determined to sustain those relations while playing its role in fostering peace and stability in the sub-region.