US embassy cable - 90ACCRA7474

UNCLAS ACCRA 07474 
 
 
DEPT FOR S/CT FOR BREELAND 
 
DECL: 12356 N/A 
TAGS: PTER, GH 
SUBJECT:  GHANA:1990 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT 
 
REF:   STATE 355397 
 
1.  MOST OF THE QUESTIONS ABOUT TERRORISM ARE NOT 
PERTINENT TO THE GHANAIAN SITUATION.  HOWEVER, GHANA 
HAS HAD CLOSE RELATIONS WITH LIBYA; GOOD RELATIONS 
WITH IRAN, CUBA, AND NORTH KOREA; AND RECOGNIZES THE 
"GOVERNMENT OF PALESTINE."  GHANA IS NOT KNOWN TO 
HAVE BEEN A SPRINGBOARD FOR AN ATTACK BY A TERRORIST 
GROUP, AND THE GOG IS NOT KNOWN TO HAVE ALLOWED 
TERRORISTS TO OPERATE WITHIN THE COUNTRY. 
 
--  LIBYA:  THE DIPLOMTIC LIST SHOWS EIGHT PEOPLE 
ACCREDITED TO THE PEOPLES' BUREAU IN ACCRA; THE TOTAL 
NUMBER OF LIBYANS IN-COUNTRY IS ESTIMATED AT 50. 
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF COMPANIES AND ORGANIZATIONS 
WITH LIBYAN REPRESENTATIVES SUCH AS THE GHANA LIBYAN 
ARAB HOLDING COMPANY, GHANA LIBYAN ARAB MINING 
COMPANY, LIBYA ARAB AGRICULTURAL HOLDING COMPANY, 
VARIOUS GREEN BOOK STUDY CLUBS, AND THE 
LIBYAN-SPONSORED ISLAMIC CALL SOCIETY WHLCH IS ACTIVE 
ON THE RELIGIOUS FRONT.  IT IS BELIEVED THAT GHANA IS 
ALSO A TRANSIT POINT FOR PEOPLE FROM OTHER PARTS OF 
WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA TRAVELLING TO LIBYA. 
 
--  PLO:  GHANA HOSTS A TWO-PERSON EMBASSY OF THE 
"STATE OF PALESTINE" IN ACCRA.  PLO RECEIVES 
FAVORABLE AND SYMPATHETIC PRESS COVERAGE (E.G., 
ANNIVERSARY OF ESTABLISHMENT OF THE "STATE OF 
PALESTINE" AND ARAFAT COMMENTS ON RECENT ISRAELI 
SHOOTINGS IN JERUSALEM); PLO ENVOYS ARE RECEIVED BY 
CHAIRMAN RAWLINGS; AND THE PLO CONDUCTS AN ANNUAL 
COMPUTER CAMP ("COMPUCAMP") ATTENDED BY YOUNG PEOPLE 
FROM SEVERAL WEST AFRICAN COUNTRIES.  GHANA GENERALLY 
SUPPORTS PLO POSITIONS ON THE MIDDLE EAST SITUATION 
IN INTERNATIONAL FORA (BUT ABSTAINS ON THE "ISRAELI 
CREDENTIALS" ISSUE). 
 
-- IRAN HAS A SMALL BUT ACTIVE EMBASSY IN GHANA.  A 
RECENT DELEGATION INITIATED AN IRAN-GHANA JOINT 
COMMISSION.  IRAN PROVIDES MODEST ASSISTANCE TO THE 
AGRICULTURAL AND HEALTH SECTORS, AND SPONSORS 
SEMINARS FOR ISLAMIC GROUPS. 
 
-- GHANA-CUBA RELATIONS ARE GOOD.  SEVERAL HUNDRED 
GHANAIAN YOUTHS ARE STUDYING IN CUBA; GHANA HAS 
ATTEMPTED TO REPLICATE THE CUBAN COMMITTEES FOR 
DEFENCE OF THE REVOLUTION; AND GHANAIAN LEADERS 
RESPECT CASTRO'S REVOLUTIONARY STANCE.  THE CUBANS 
HAVE PROVIDED SEVERAL TECHNICAL TEAMS--TEACHERS, 
DOCTORS, AGRICULTURALISTS, ETC.--TO WORK IN RURAL 
GHANA. 
 
-- NORTH KOREA HAS A SMALL EMBASSY IN ACCRA.  THERE 
IS A SMALL AMOUNT OF NORTH KOREAN ASSISTANCE TO GHANA 
AND DELEGATIONS HAVE EXCHANGED VISITS DURING THIS 
PAST YEAR (ONE GHANAIAN DELEGATION WAS LED BY PNDC 
MEMBER JUSTICE DANIEL K. ANNAN).  GHANA AND THE DPRK 
HAVE A JOINT COMMISSION WHICH MEETS INFREQUENTLY. 
OCCASIONALLY, THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT-OWNED PRESS 
CARRIES FEATURE STORIES COMMENTING FAVORABLY ON 
ASPECTS OF THE NORTH KOREAN POLITICAL-ECONOMIC 
SYSTEM. 
 
-- IRAQ - GHANA HAS NO SUBSTANTIVE RELATIONS WITH 
IRAQ AND CONDEMNED THE IRAQ INVASION OF KUWAIT. 
 
 
EWING