US embassy cable - 05ACCRA2304

C O N F I D E N T I A L ACCRA 002304 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/09/2015 
TAGS: KDEM, PGOV, PHUM, PREL, GH, military 
SUBJECT: GHANA'S DEFENSE MINISTER SEES MILITARY AS 
DEVELOPMENT ARM 
 
 
Classified By: PolChief Scott Ticknor for reasons 1.5 (b) and (d). 
 
1. (SBU) Summary: In the Ambassador's first official call on 
Minister of Defense Kwame Addo-Kufuor on November 7, the 
minister announced his vision to transform Ghana's military 
into a "development partner" of the Government of Ghana. 
A presidential hopeful, the minister used the meeting largely 
as a media event. End summary. 
 
2. (U)  Addo-Kufuor thanked the U.S. government for its 
support for Ghana's military through the West African 
Training Cruise and other training. The minister told the 
Ambassador that in the medium- to long-term greater peace in 
the West African sub-region will enable Ghana's military to 
turn its attention to the country's development. Addo-Kufuor 
identified four key areas he expected the military to 
address: deforestation caused by the expansion of the Sahara 
desert; road construction; bridge construction; and the 
provision of low-cost housing. He said he intended to obtain 
an Ultimate Building Machine from M.I.C. Industries of 
Reston, VA. The Minister said this machine, a mobile unit 
that can build structures out of metal, would be used to 
build low-cost housing as well as warehouses and airport 
hangars. 
 
3. (C)  Comment: Addo-Kufuor unexpectedly broke off this 
courtesy call after only a few minutes of remarks in front of 
roughly 20 print and broadcast journalists.  The President's 
brother and a presidential hopeful, he clearly used the 
meeting to boost publicity for himself.  His announced 
development plans have not gone down well with some of the 
senior military and will be very unpopular with the rank and 
file if Ghana discontinues its participation in peacekeeping 
operations that are financially lucrative to Ghana's soldiers. 
 
BRIDGEWATER