Ghana-Colombia port deal sparks fresh cocaine trafficking security concerns

Samuel Abdulai Jinapor, MP for Damongo and Ranking Member of Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee The Minority in Parliament is demanding the immediate suspension of Ghana’s maritime shipping and port cooperation agreement with Colombia, citing fresh national security concerns over cocaine trafficking.“At a time when multi-tonne consignments of cocaine linked to Ghana are repeatedly being intercepted, both within the country and abroad, and when the world’s principal cocaine departure country has established a visa-waiver and maritime connectivity arrangement with Ghana, prudence and good governance demand a comprehensive national-security assessment of that arrangement before it is permitted to remain in operation.”In its latest statement, the caucus is asking the government to suspend the Ghana-Colombia visa-waiver arrangement and the maritime and port cooperation arrangements, and to submit the entire framework to a comprehensive security review before Parliament.