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Ghana - Military Doctrine

Most of the essential functions of the Armed Forces are, in a sense, “symbolic”. They prove that there is a government which is “legally” in control of the state and accepted as such. In the ceremonial role, the Armed Forces of Ghana project a strong patriotic feeling which draws the attention of the Ghanaian public to its shared values and style of operation. The purpose for which Ghana maintains the Armed Forces could therefore be summarized as follows:

• protect by Land, Sea and Air the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ghana against internal and external aggression
• ensure peace and stability within the sub-region and beyond through international peace keeping effort collaborations (ECOWAS, UN, AU)
• ensure security to the oil and gas field of Ghana and other natural resources
• forestall civil unrest through pre-emptive and proactive deployment in order secure internal peace and security
• provide humanitarian assistance and relief during national, regional and district disaster during an emergencies
• participate in value for money productive ventures for national development

The effect of all these and others have been to stem the tide of negative influences in the Ghanaian society, safeguard lives and property and, above all, create an enabling environment for economic growth.

As of the mid-1990s, there was no external threat against Ghana; however, Ghana has experienced periodic tensions with two West African states, Togo and Liberia, which at the time some observers believed could lead to armed conflict. The parties involved in these disputes avoided hostilities by relying on diplomacy rather than on military force to resolve their problems.

Ghana faces a range of security challenges, including a rise in violent street crime and vigilante justice, a proliferation of small arms, and narcotics trafficking. Ghana is increasingly becoming a major transit point for cocaine and heroin bound for Europe and the United States.

Ghana has a long history of internal division, rooted in antagonisms and conflicts among the country's various ethnic groups. For example, the Asante (also seen as Ashanti) in the center of the country have long been at odds with southern peoples such as the Ga, Fante, Akwapim, Nzema, and Ewe. In the seventeenth century, the Asante began conquering smaller northern states. The Asante then moved south, where they came into contact with the Fante. Conflicts between these two groups ultimately led to British intervention. For much of the nineteenth century, the British battled the Asante for control of most of the territory that became modern Ghana.

Even after the country gained independence as the new nation of Ghana in 1957, ethnic divisions continued to trouble Ghanaian society. Several dissident organizations, however, most of which had been created by exiles during the 1980s, dedicated themselves to deemphasizing ethnicity and to facilitating the growth of nationalism. In April 1982, various members of Ghana's banned political parties established the Campaign for Democracy in Ghana and opened offices in Lagos and London. This group characterized the Rawlings regime as "an instrument of terror" and urged all Ghanaians to employ all legitimate means to ensure that democracy and constitutional order were restored in the country. In April 1984, J. H. Mensah, who had been the minister of finance in the Kofi Abrefa Busia government (1969-71), formed the Ghana Democratic Movement, which welcomed all citizens who believed in "the restoration of democracy in Ghana."

In the precolonial era, political opposition was tolerated only up to point, after which retribution was likely. During the colonial period in the Gold Coast, later renamed Ghana, the British jailed outspoken nationalists. Since independence, Ghana's security policy toward dissidents and political opponents has been harsh. During Kwame Nkrumah's presidency (1960-66), security personnel permeated all levels of Ghanaian society. Additionally, the Ghana Young Pioneers, created in June 1960, regularly reported all suspected dissident activities to the authorities. Nkrumah also encouraged rivalries among senior officials to discourage them from taking united action against him. Individuals who fell afoul of Nkrumah usually ended up in jail; more dangerous people received long-term sentences in the maximum security prison at Nsawam.

Since the downfall of Nkrumah, all governments except that of Hilla Limann (1979-81) dealt harshly with any individual or organization deemed to be a threat to the established political order. Informants watched military personnel, members of political parties, academics, students, and ordinary citizens for signs of disloyalty, antigovernment activity, or coupplotting.

During the early years of the second Rawlings regime in the 1980s, the authorities also sought to prevent the emergence of prodemocracy groups. In mid-1987, for example, the police arrested members of the New Democratic Movement (NDM) and the Kwame Nkrumah Revolutionary Guards (KNRG), supposedly for plotting to overthrow the government. Gradually, however, Western and domestic pressures persuaded the Ghanaian government to permit political competition and to hold multiparty elections in late 1992.

From 1957, when Ghana achieved her independence, to 1981 there were four military interventions in the administration of the country. After the 1981 military take-over, the government introduced many far-reaching measures including the tribunal system, which affected the judiciary and the military justice system.

1. On February 24, 1966, the military ousted the Nkrumah government, accusing it of "abuse of power, widespread political repression, sharp economic decline, and rampant corruption." The new government, which operated under the name, National Liberation Council (NLC), handed over power after general elections in 1969.
2. On January 13, 1972 the military seized control of the government for the second time under the name, National Redemption Council (NRC). The government led by then Colonel Acheampong decided to form a union government composed of civilians, military and police personnel. It changed its name to the Supreme Military Council. There was wide-spread opposition to the union government proposal. In a palace coup on July 5, 1978 Acheampong was forced to resign and General Akufo formed the new administration under Supreme Military Council II.
3. Ghana's third military takeover occurred on June 4, 1979, when Rawlings was ushered into power. He formed the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) that ruled the country for three months. No sooner had the new civilian administration taken over reigns of government than Rawlings came into power for the second time.
4. On December 31, 1981, Rawlings seized power and established the Provisional National Defense Council (PNDC) that governed the country until 1992 when a new civilian democratic government was elected.

Though located in a region notorious for political instability and armed conflicts, Ghana remains an oasis of peace. The country has had a consolidated multi-party constitutional democracy since 1992, after more than ten years of military dictatorship.

Beyond the traditional role of the military which is to maintain peace and prevent outbreak of war, the Ghana Armed Forces have considerable capacity for contributing to the socio-economic development of the nation. The military are presently involved in a number of activities in support of environmental protection and conservation. One such activity is a bio-diversity project designed to protect and preserve game and wildlife in the game parts of Ghana. The military is also assisting the Ministry of Lands and Forestry in reducing illegal felling activities in our forest resources.

The Armed Forces Engineer Corps have been involved in a number of developmental projects. Construction of roads in the Afram Plains in the Eastern Region and Sefwi-Wiawso in the Western region have for instance made large areas of arable land which could otherwise not be utilized now accessible for cultivation. They have also been involved in the rehabilitation of some government buildings.

the Ghana Armed Forces provides varied forms of assistance to civil, government and non-governmental organizations especially in times of emergency or natural disasters. The 37 Military Hospital for instance is designated for National Disaster and Emergency Hospital and operates a 24-Hour emergency centre. The Air Force and Navy also conduct search and rescue operations using fixed and rotary wing aircraft, or water transport to find or remove casualties and victims during floods and other disasters.