Two senior United States defence officials, Assistant Secretary of War Daniel Zimmerman and U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) Deputy Commander Lieutenant General John Brennan, visited Ghana from August 6 to 8 for high-level talks with senior Ghanaian officials on security cooperation.
The officials discussed efforts to strengthen Ghana’s domestic, maritime, border and regional security capabilities during their visit.
The engagement forms part of a series of high-level security engagements between the United States and Ghana this year, following earlier visits by the AFRICOM Commander and the Commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa (NAVAF-NAVEUR).
Zimmerman, who was making his first visit to Ghana, said the trip demonstrated Washington’s interest in strengthening the capacity of the Ghana Armed Forces to respond to national and regional security threats.
“This visit reflects high-level U.S. interest in partnering with the Ghana Armed Forces to strengthen our partner’s capacity to protect national sovereignty and address regional security challenges,” he said.
The visit followed the delegation’s participation in the second Joint Angolan-American Defense Cooperation Committee (DEFCOM), held in Luanda, Angola, from August 5 to 6.
U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Rolf Olson said the latest engagement forms part of what he described as robust security cooperation between Ghana and the United States.
“These visits are part of our robust security cooperation with Ghana, which includes co-hosting African land and maritime forces summits, participating in joint training exercises, and strengthening partner capacity through medical and educational exchanges,” he said.
Mr Olson said the US Embassy had also hosted delegations from the Naval Medical Research Unit and the Africa Center for Strategic Studies during the week to strengthen medical readiness and military education.
The United States said the visit reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Ghana’s security priorities and strengthening the broader US-Africa partnership on stability, prosperity and security across the region.
