Israeli security companies partner Ghana to tackle threats

Ghana and Israel are exploring ways of enhancing partnership to help address Ghana’s security threats.

The move includes promoting Israeli technologies that can enhance Ghana’s security infrastructure and provide high-end solutions for border security, maritime security, cybercrime, illegal mining and human trafficking.

It is to help Ghana address the various threats such as clashes between farmers and herdsmen, clashes between local groups, human trafficking, arms smuggling and armed robbery that the country faces.

In line with this, the Israeli Economic and Trade Mission in collaboration with the Israeli Export Institute and the Ghana-Israel Business Chambers on Tuesday, August 22, 2023, hosted a seminar aimed at promoting Israeli technologies that can enhance Ghana's security infrastructure.

The seminar was used to showcase high-end innovative security technologies of eight Israeli businesses with an aim to promote joint ventures and international partnerships between the Israeli business security solution providers and Ghanaian public and private institutions.

Some of the solutions showcased at the seminar included technologies to fight crime and terrorism, tactical intelligence operations, Artificial intelligence solutions and technologies that could help Ghana win the fight against illegal mining popularly known as galamsey.

Israel has over 500 companies that export and operate in the homeland security arena by offering technologically advanced, field proven products and solutions.

Ghana relatively calm

At the opening of the maiden Israeli homeland security business delegation visit and summit in Accra, the head of the Economic and Trade Mission of Israel to Ghana, Yaniv Tessel, said as nations faced many security threats and challenges, Ghana was not an exception to the worrying phenomenon.

"Security in Ghana is relatively calm but there are several threats that the country faces,” he said, “we are all aware of the current coup in Niger and its troubling effect in the Sahel region of Africa.

Even though we get to enjoy some daily peace and stability in Ghana, we cannot exactly say that all is well in the sub-region given various reports of instability in most of Ghana’s neighbouring countries.”

Israel, he said, takes a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach to homeland security with expertise in areas such as border protection, cybersecurity, counterterrorism, emergency response and disaster management.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Israel Business Chamber, Edem Yevutsey, said the history of defence cooperation between Ghana and Israel provided a strong foundation for partnership in the area of homeland security.

That, he said, was because when Ghana established its Airforce in 1959, Israel was one of the countries that provided training for Ghana's pilots alongside technical support towards the establishment of the Ghana Air Force.

Over the years, Israel has worked with Ghana to enhance the capacity of special forces, counterterrorism and anti-money laundering units, among others and with defence cooperation agreements relating to the supply of military hardware and intelligence equipment.

The interconnected nature of the world, he said, was important for cooperation, knowledge-sharing, expertise-sharing to ensure security and peace.