Kamala Harris starts Africa tour in Ghana, announces security aid By Reuters

By Francis Kokoroko

ACCRA (Reuters) -The USA will present $100 million to Ghana and 4 different West African nations to assist them cope with violent extremism and instability, Vice President Kamala Harris mentioned on Monday throughout a go to to Ghana.

Harris was in Accra initially of a week-long, three-nation African tour, the most recent in a sequence of visits by senior U.S. officers as Washington seeks to counter rising Chinese language and Russian affect on the continent.

“President Biden and I’ve made clear the USA is strengthening our partnerships throughout the continent of Africa,” she mentioned throughout a joint information convention with Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo.

China has invested closely in Africa within the final twenty years, significantly in infrastructure, mining, timber and fishing, whereas Russian personal navy contractor Wagner Group is offering safety help in a number of nations.

Akufo-Addo reiterated that he was involved about Wagner’s presence in West Africa.

“It raises the very actual risk … that when once more our continent goes to turn into the playground for excellent energy battle,” he mentioned, standing alongside Harris.

A number of nations throughout West Africa and the Sahel area have been struggling to quell Islamist insurgencies which have triggered humanitarian disasters and fuelled discontent — contributing elements to navy coups in Mali and Burkina Faso.

“We recognize your management in response to current democratic back-sliding in West Africa,” Harris informed Akufo-Addo.

“To assist tackle the threats of violent extremism and instability, in the present day I’m happy to announce $100 million in assist of Benin, Ghana, Guinea, Cote d’Ivoire and Togo,” she mentioned.

That’s along with $139 million in bilateral help that the USA intends to offer to Ghana within the fiscal 12 months 2024, based on Harris’s workplace.

After Ghana, Harris will head to Tanzania and Zambia.

LGBT RIGHTS

Harris was requested throughout the information convention whether or not she can be selling LGBT rights throughout her tour, together with in Ghana the place a invoice that will severely limit these rights goes by means of parliament.

“I’ve raised this concern,” Harris mentioned, including that she felt very strongly about supporting freedom and equality for all folks, and that LGBT rights had been a human rights concern.

Ghana’s draft invoice would make it a criminal offense to be homosexual, bisexual or transgender. Homosexual intercourse is already punishable by as much as three years in jail beneath Ghanaian legislation, although nobody has been prosecuted in years.

The brand new invoice would lengthen jail phrases and pressure folks to endure “conversion remedy”, practices supposed to vary their sexual orientation. Parliament held public hearings on the invoice beginning in 2021. It’s unclear when will probably be put to a vote.

Akufo-Addo responded to a query in regards to the invoice from a U.S. reporter by saying that it was not official authorities coverage however relatively had been put ahead by legislators performing in a personal capability.

He additionally mentioned the nation’s attorney-general had submitted views to a parliamentary committee inspecting the invoice about “the constitutionality or in any other case of a number of of its provisions”.

“My understanding … is that substantial parts of the invoice have already been modified on account of the intervention of the attorney-general,” he mentioned, with out giving particulars.

“I’ve little question that the parliament of Ghana will present because it has completed up to now … its sensitivity to human rights points in addition to to the sentiments of our inhabitants, and can come out with a accountable response to the proposed laws.”