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Table of Contents
Country Reports
GHANA, Landmine Monitor Report 1999

GHANA

Ghana signed the Mine Ban Treaty on 4 December 1997, but has yet to ratify it. A top Ghanaian Army officer who was involved in the Oslo treaty negotiations has explained that there was no political reason for holding up ratification and he believes that parliamentary time will be allocated for ratification before the end of 1999.[1]

Ghana supported the Ottawa Process by endorsing the Brussels declaration, attending the Oslo treaty negotiations as a full participant and by supporting key resolutions on landmines in both the UN General Assembly and the Organization of African Unity. The All African Students Union and the non-governmental Green Earth Organisation lobbied the government on landmine issues and participate in the International Campaign to Ban Landmines.

Ghana has not produced or exported antipersonnel mines. The Ghanaian Armed Forces do not stockpile AP mines.[2] Ghana serves in ECOMOG, whose forces have used mines in the past; the implications of this for a treaty signatory need to be explored.

<GAMBIA | GUINEA-BISSAU>

[1]Interview with Adjudicator-General of the Armed Forces, Col. A.B. Donkor, Accra, 6 February 1999.

[2]Ibid.