Accra, Jan. 24, - Shirley Ayorkor
Botchwey, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration says
Government’s hands are tied in the case of the two former Guantanamo Bay
detainees because the previous government granted them refugee status, which
has not yet elapsed.
Additionally, there is lack of
exit strategy for the two ex-Guantanamo Bay detainees that accompanied the agreement
signed on the two.
The Minister, in a statement on
Wednesday in Parliament, on the matter which some members of the Minority side
led by Mr Samuel Okudzeto-Ablakwa, Ranking Member on Foreign Affairs and MP for
North Tongu had raised.
The two detainees, Mahmud Umar
Muhammad Bin Atef and Khalid Muhammad Salih Al-Dhuby, who were in detention for
14 years after being linked with terrorist group Al-Qaeda, were brought to
Ghana on January 6, 2016, for a period of two years.
The presence of the two former
Guantanamo bay detainees has been a matter of national discussion for which
President Akufo Addo told a recent media encounter that Parliament, then on
recess, would look into the matter when it reconvenes.
So when the House reconvened on
Tuesday, January 23, 2018, the ranking member reminded the House of the promise
of the President, and wanted to know the status of the two, who are still in
Ghana.
Ms Ayorkor Botchwey said the
agreement signed between the Government of Ghana and the United States of
America specified that, while the US has no obligation to the detainees after
the expiration two-year agreement, Ghana has the responsibility to integrate
the two into the Ghanaian society.
She said upon assuming office,
she engaged the American Ambassador to Ghana, and the indications were that
there was no arrangement in terms of exit strategy for the two ex-Guantanamo
detainees.
“I did it because of the
sentiment expressed by Ghanaians. I feel that one important way to solve this
issue was to see if a third country would receive the two former detainees.
Unfortunately, we found out at the very last minute…, they have been granted
refugee status. That means they can only leave this county if they want”.
“For now it is impossible because
they are legal residents as a results of being given refugee status”.
Ms Ayorkor Botchwey, who is also
the MP for Anyaa Sowutoum, said Government’s hands are tied but assured the
House and Ghanaians that an independent examination of the matter would be
carried out to see the way out.
The Minister, who appeared
alongside the Interior Minister, Ambrose Dery and the Minister of National
Security, Albert Kan-Dapaah, both of whom buttressed the response of the
Foreign Minister.
The Minster explained further
that “the implication is that, in accordance with the United Nations Convention
on the Status of Refugees of 1951, and the 1967 protocol on the Status of
refugees, as well as the provisions of the Refugee Law (1992) PNDC Law 305 (d)
of Ghana, the two have attained the status of refugees in our country.”
She noted that the essential
component of the refugee status in Ghana “is protection against return to a
country where a person has reason to fear persecution.”
“Accordingly, government is
constrained to explore any further options at this time, and will await an
in-depth examination of the matter by the appropriate agencies,” Mrs. Botchwey
added.
GNA
Caption:
Pix 013 and Pix 014 show Shirley
Ayorkor Botchwey, Minister for Foreign Affairs making a statement on GITMO 2 on
the floor of Parliament.
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