Ghana won’t tolerate asylum seekers to destabilize Ivory Coast

Government has affirmed its stand that it would not tolerate the use of its territory by Ivorian refugees, exiles and asylum seekers residing in Ghana to destabilize Cote d’Ivoire.

“The Government of Ghana stands firmly by this declaration” a release signed and issued by Mr Chris Kpodo, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration said on Saturday.

The release, therefore, expressed strong exception to a stated content of a purported report that sought to give credence to repeated allegations that Ghana was being used as a base by Ivorian refugees and exiles in Ghana to destabilize the Ivorian Government.

The said media report was published in the Daily Graphic of Thursday 11 October, 2012 and attributed to Reuters relating to a purported report by the UN Group of Experts on Cote d’Ivoire.

The release explained that the UN Group of Experts requested for and was granted the opportunity to visit Ghana in July this year and met with relevant Ghanaian officials on the implementation of sanctions regime on Cote d’Ivoire.

“By granting that opportunity and providing all the information sought by the experts, the government of Ghana openly demonstrated its good will, good faith and disposition to fully cooperate with the United Nations in monitoring the implementation of its decisions and resolution.

It has therefore come as a surprise to the Government of Ghana that observations of the group on related issues were not shared with the government prior to premature release of the interim report”, the release said.

Furthermore, government of Ghana was reliably informed that the Security Council Sanctions Committee would meet to receive the Report on Friday 12 October, 2012 prior to bringing it before the Security Council.

“It is therefore grossly abnormal for the Report to appear in the public domain before it is received by the Committee”, the release said and further expressed government dismay over the premature leakage of the said report to Reuters.

Source: GNA