Catholic Lay Groups in Ghana Support their Bishops’ Stance on Guantanamo Detainees

CANAA || By Damian Avevor, Ghana || 21 January 2016

Two Catholic lay groups have issued statements in support of the Ghana catholic Bishops’ Conference’s (GCBC) call on Government to do all it could to send the two Guantanamo detainees back to wherever they came from.

The groups include the Knights and Ladies of Marshall and the Kumasi Province of the Association of Catholic Teachers (ACT).

In a Statement by the GCBC on January 11, the Bishops were emphatic: “This year is an election year and we expect our Government to focus a lot of attention on helping to secure peace and security in the country by dealing with the above-mentioned and related challenges and not to risk the security of our land by hosting two former terrorists.”

Ghana’s Foreign Ministry announced in a statement signed by Hanna Tetteh that the country had agreed to provide humanitarian assistance to persons from Rwanda, Syria and Yemen following the crisis in the Middle East.

The United States confirmed the transfer of Mahmud Umar Muhammad Bin Atef and Khalid Muhammad Salih Al-Dhuby to Ghana six years after it was approved and “a number of factors, including security issues” had been examined.

In an affirmative Statement in support and solidarity with the Ghanaian Bishops, the Knights of Marshall called on government in the broad interest of peace and security of the country to reconsider its decision of accommodating the two former Guantanamo prisoners saying, “We associate ourselves with issues raised by a number of Ghanaians and civil society groups, including the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference and the Christian Council of Ghana that the issue relating to the two is totally different from previous asylum requests granted to other refugees,”

The Marshallan Statement issued on January 18 and signed by Sir Kt. Amoako- Arhen, Supreme Knight called on the government to acknowledge its pitfalls and apologize to Ghanaians for the manner it handled the issue, expressing the view that the decision should had been discussed in Parliament as the case in a number of countries.

“What is even much more worrying and disturbing is the Minister of the Interior, Mr. Mark Woyongo, who has oversight responsibility for National Security, saying that he was not privy to the discussions,” the Statement noted,

The Marshallans queried whether the government was aware that as of July 13, 2013, 100 of the 603, representing 16.6 per cent, released detainees at Guantanamo Bay have re-engaged in terrorist activities?

They added: “Although the government of Ghana claims that the two Gitmo detainees pose no security risk, we are at a loss as to why the suspects are being kept at the National Security compound and their movement monitored 24/7.”

The Catholic Teachers issued their statement on January 17, signed by the Chairman Mr. Eric Kyei and the Coordinator, Mr. Boakye-Baafi.

They thanked the Catholic Bishops for their concerns and fatherly love shown to Ghanaians on the issue of the two Guantanamo Bay former inmates saying, “We want to assure the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Ghana that we are solidly behind them, and we will continue to pray for them to keep on with their good works for Mother Ghana.”

The Bishops had previously asked the government a number of questions: What is the mission of these two inmates in Ghana? Are they not a threat to the security of the country? Did the president seek the approval of parliament, both the interior and defense ministries before their arrival?

The Catholic Teachers appealed to President John Mahama and the governing NDC that they should sideline their selfishness and think about the welfare of Ghanaians.

“We also appeal to Parliament to take up the matter in the interest of the people they represent for peace and security in Ghana.”

Meanwhile, Most Rev. Joseph Osei-Bonsu, President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference has clarified his statement on demonstration in protest of the Ghana government’s acceptance of the two Guantanamo Bay prisoners.

He said more than 30 FM stations called him to interview him on the subject, saying that at some point last week, I decided that I had said a lot on the matter and was no longer going to comment further on the matter.

In a statement issued on January 20, Bishop Osei-Bonsu said, “I left Ghana on Monday, 18 January 2016 to attend a Conference of Bishops in Lisbon, Portugal, and while here, my attention has been drawn to a caption in the media that states: “Catholic Bishops to lead demo over two Guantanamo Bay prisoners”.

“I would like to point out that the Ghana Bishops’ Conference has not taken any such decision. If it had, it would have issued a statement about it,” he added

“I would also like to add that sometime last week, I was interviewed by one FM station on the issue of the two Guantanamo Bay prisoners, and I said that if some Ghanaians felt strongly about this issue and wanted to express their view on the matter through a demonstration, I personally would not mind joining them. I did not say that I was going to organize such a demonstration; neither did I say or imply that the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference had said anything to that effect.”

“Let me conclude by saying that a demonstration is a democratic way of expressing one’s view on certain matters. It is something guaranteed in our constitution and it is not bad in itself. If it was something bad, I would not consider taking part in it. We should recall, for example, that Dr. Martin Luther King Jnr and Archbishop Desmond Tutu took part in various demonstrations for a good cause. For me, the security of our dear nation Ghana is an example of such a good cause.”