The diplomatic bond between Ghana and Ivory Coast is not on a good footing. The situation has been worsened by the suspicion by the Ivorian authorities that Ivorian rebels launched an attack on it from Ghanaian territory last weekend.
Although the Ivorians have temporarily opened the closed border crossing to allow limited trading activities, the relationship between the two countries is anything but cordial.
The diplomatic niceties, including the donation of some livestock by President Alassane Ouattarra to us when our president died, are beclouded by a haze of mistrust on the part of our Western neighbours.
We are aware that National Security Coordinator Gbevlo-Lartey has denied Ghana?s involvement in the cross-border skirmish. We think, as a country, we have to work harder at managing our Ivorian refugee guests in our midst.
We have had cause to caution National Security authorities about the danger some of the so-called refugees pose to our national security. We especially did this during the biometric voter registration period when some of them managed to be processed. Indeed, some worried persons even asked that those of them living close to registration points be transferred further afield.
Some of them are former combatants who would want to go back to the trenches using our territory and launching pad and this is what we should stem by all means and sincerely.
There have been instances of refugees engaging in criminal activities and even attracted negative headline stories, yet to our dismay, little has been done to deal with them in a manner that would deter others from following in their tracks.
As signatories to the international convention on the management of refugees, we are bound by the tenets of the statute; we are also conscious about the fact that those seeking sanctuary in our territory must not engage in subversive activities against their home countries while here.
We think the security and political authorities can do better than they are doing currently regarding the activities of refugees in the country.
The recent arrest of some Ivorians and their local collaborators with weapons which they planned using in their bid to topple the Ouattara government, against the backdrop of last week?s skirmishes, provide sufficient food for thought for the relevant authorities.
The body language of our political authorities at the time the war for Abidjan raged, especially in the light of the infamous ?dzi wofie asem? mantra, must certainly be etched in the mind of the Ivorian strongman, watering the seed of discord between the two countries. A new and more sincere chapter must be opened between us and now.
