The official handover ceremony which took place on Friday, 12 December at the Burma Camp in Accra is a testament of the strong security and defence ties that the UK and Ghana share.
The event brought together:
- the UK Minister of State for the Armed Forces, Rt. Hon. James Heappey
- the Chief of the Defence Staff, Vice Admiral Seth Amoama from the Ghana Armed Forces
- British High Commissioner, H.E. Harriet Thompson
- representatives from the UK government
- representatives from the Ghana Armed Forces
Together, they demonstrated a collaborative effort to bolster peace and security in the Northern regions.
Ghana, like her neighbours, appreciates the importance of civilian cooperation in the Northern regions as the Armed Forces work alongside non-governmental organisations in the fight to prevent and limit violent extremist organisations. The ambulances provided are equipped with state-of-the-art technology to aid the Ghana Armed Forces in their medical outreaches in the 5 Northern regions, as part of the UK-Ghana Civilian Military Cooperation Programme.
Speaking at the handing over ceremony, the UK Minister of State for the Armed Forces, Rt. Hon. James Heappey said:
Ghana is a key partner for the UK. We work together to tackle shared challenges from violent extremism in the Sahel to maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea and this donation underscores the strong partnership between the UK and Ghana.
We are proud to contribute to Ghana Armed Force's capacity to protect and serve its civilians in the 5 Northern regions to counter violent extremism, and we will continue to foster long-lasting partnerships through our annual security dialogue.
The ambulances will be distributed in the Wa, Bolgatanga, Sandema Mechanical Brigade Headquarters and the Armoured Regimental Headquarters in Damango respectively.
The UK continues to work closely with the Ghana Armed Forces to support Ghana's leadership position in the sub-region and to strengthen the capability of Ghanaian security services to take the lead in responding to instability in the region, particularly those related to that of violent extremists emanating from the Sahel.
