The American ambassador to Ghana, Virginia Palmer has indicated that discrimination against minority groups is another factor that can harm the peace, security, and democracy of Ghana and the entire West African subregion.

She gave these remarks while speaking at a forum on the issue at a symposium organized by the Center for Democratic Development (CDD) on the decline of democracy in West Africa.

“Discrimination against minority groups causes grievances which then makes these groups vulnerable to being required by violent extremists for example and then creates a downward spiral for security.
Ambassador Virginia Palmer

In addition, she mentioned corruption as another major challenge facing democracies in the subregion. Ambassador Palmer reminded her audience of the inherent deficiencies of democracy and stated that “Corruption also undermines the institutions that protect security and again creates a violent but often vicious downward spiral. When a democratic government fails to live up to expectations, the solution is more democracy not less.”

Conflation of Priorities

In recent times, West Africa has experienced both Military Putsch and “Constitutional Coups”. Despite the rising coups and illiberal tendencies, a few countries in the region have shown that democracy can still regenerate itself and the victory of Bassirou Diomaye Faye in 2024 over the “establishment” candidate Ahmadou Ba is a glaring example.

Ambassador Palmer’s seeming use of “minority group” may be a tacit reference to the Gay and Lesbian community, and anti-LGBTQ+ bill awaiting Presidential assent. Since the passage of the controversial bill, Ambassador Palmer has not hidden her opposition to the bill.

However, most Ghanaians don’t see the issue from the perspective she does. While for her it is a matter of right, in Ghana, it is about values, principles, and morality. Moreover, it is an issue the majority of the country is prepared to fight. The fact that Parliament and the Presidency are at loggerheads says a lot about the determination of Ghanaians to defy what they see as “Western interference” in the domestic, affairs of their country.

Ambassador Palmer will have difficulty in persuading Ghanaians to share her American view on the LGBTQ+ matter.

Terrorism is a Growing Concern

How insecurity and terrorism fueled the current military takeovers in the subregion. While the regional body, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), donor partners, and the wider international community have condemned the coups, the reality is that the new military leaders enjoy popularity in their respective countries.

In the Sahel region, successive elected governments failed to combat terrorism. They were also unable to prevent its spread across the vast swathes of the land. Several years of foreign security support in terms of military deployments, provision of arms, training, and combat support did not also help.

The growing sophistication of the terrorist groups agitated some members of the military. It further forced citizens to come to the streets to demonstrate and demand action from authorities, but in some instances, protesters also demanded the resignation of those in authority. The heavy-handed response of those governments and the looming chaos provided the opportunity for the military to takeovers.

In this regard, Assimi Goita’s coup in Mali is a good example. having consolidated their hold in the Sahel, these terrorist groups are gradually spreading towards the coastal state. Togo and Benin have become major Targets where isolated attacks are carried out to test the security preparedness of those countries and also overstretch their resources and manpower. These types of attacks are meant to facilitate future attacks.

Now that terrorism has become a regional security issue in West Africa, any discussion on safeguarding democracy in the subregion, must take account of this reality and explore ideas on how to combat the menace. It must further present measures that strengthen good governance and accountability. Anything short of this may work in the short-term, but the long-term dangers would be insurmountable.