VICENZA, Italy – The senior U.S. Army representative to Africa met with Ghanaian military officials in Ghana from Nov. 15-16.
Gen. Christopher Cavoli, commanding general of U.S. Army Europe and Africa, headquartered in Wiesbaden, Germany, traveled to Ghana Nov. 15 to meet with Ghana’s Minister of Defense the Hon. Dominic Nitiwul and other members of the military high command of the Ghana Armed Forces.
The focus of Cavoli’s trip was to discuss defense and security issues affecting West Africa, Europe, and the United States, and the leadership role that Ghana plays in supporting security within the sub-region and throughout Africa.
“Ghana is a vital partner in West Africa and the United States Army truly values the strong relationship that we share with the Ghana Armed Forces,” Cavoli said. “Ghana’s military is highly respected across Africa and around the world. I thoroughly appreciated the warm Ghanaian hospitality and welcomed the opportunity to identify ways we can work together to promote regional security in West Africa and beyond.”
Cavoli also met with Chief of the Army Staff Maj. Gen. Thomas Oppong-Peprah. The pair talked about on-going partnership activities aimed at promoting training and readiness for both the U.S. and Ghana armies. They also identified opportunities for expanding the already robust partnership.
Cavoli visited other members of Ghana’s military including graduates of the U.S. International Military Education and Training program. Among the IMET graduates that he met were Lt Agatha Kpamina, the first international female student from an African country to graduate from the U.S. Army Infantry Officers Basic Course, and retired Brig. Gen. Ishmael Quartey. Quartey was a classmate of Cavoli during Armor training in Fort Knox Kentucky nearly thirty years ago.
U.S. Ambassador to Ghana Stephanie Sullivan accompanied Cavoli on a visit to the Ghana army’s Northern Command headquarters in Tamale, where Security Force Assistance Brigade advisors are partnering with the Ghanaian Army to improve small unit tactics. The SFAB partnership in Tamale is part of the United States’ response to the Government of Ghana’s request to assist in bolstering security along Ghana’s northern border.
“It is absolutely imperative we stay actively engaged with our partners in Africa, and that’s exactly what we are doing in Ghana” Cavoli said. “I look forward to the next opportunity to meet with our friends from the Ghana Armed Forces and am grateful for the deep partnership we’ve developed through our military cooperation.”
That next opportunity could be the African Land Forces Summit (ALFS), scheduled for March at Fort Benning, Georgia. For the first time since 2014, ALFS returns to the United States. ALFS, annually hosted by the U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa, is the U.S. Army Chief of Staff’s annual event with various leaders from armies across Africa.
