Backlash Against a U.S. Deal in Ghana Reveals Unease Over the Pentagon’s Africa Footprint

Backlash Against a U.S. Deal in Ghana Reveals Unease Over the Pentagon’s Africa Footprint
Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo, then a candidate, addresses supporters during a rally, Accra, Ghana, Dec. 11, 2012 (AP photo by Gabriela Barnuevo).

Editor’s Note: Every Friday, WPR Associate Editor Robbie Corey-Boulet curates the top news and analysis from and about the African continent.

Though the deal was approved on a Friday night, Ghana’s opposition made sure it wouldn’t be buried.

A week ago, lawmakers in the West African country passed a new agreement on military cooperation with the United States. It features terms that have proven controversial, including granting the U.S. access to Ghanaian radio channels and tax exemptions on imported military equipment. Perhaps most importantly, it also gives the U.S. military the “unimpeded” freedom to deploy across the country.

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