GITMO2 refugee status "surprising" – U.S. Amb.

The United States Ambassador to Ghana has expressed surprise that ex-Guatanamo Bay detainees Mahmud Umar Muhammad Bin Atef and Khalid Muhammad Salih Al-Dhuby have been granted refugee status by the government of Ghana.

Mr Robert Jackson told journalists in Tamale, Northern Region that: “I did not know until this week that they had been granted a refugee status.”

“That came as much of a surprise to me as all of you,” Mr Jackson told the journalists, adding: “However, that decision just gives them certain rights and if the government of Ghana wishes to relocate them to a third country, they need to discuss that with the two refugees under the international”.

According to Mr Jackson, the Government of the United States has no say in the matter anymore.

“We have no role in that and no objection to it. At this point we consider it as a matter between the government of Ghana and the two”, he said.

Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, on Wednesday, 24 January, said the two ex-detainees have become Ghana’s responsibility and will not return to their country.

Ms Botchwey told parliament that: “No exit arrangements were originally discussed between the two governments to end the bilateral arrangement at the time of negotiations. The U.S. has also been clear that discussions with them over the agreement or returning them to the United States is not an option open to discussion or negotiation.

“This means that all obligations relating to the two subjects has now become the responsibility of Ghana. Mr Speaker, in exploring options opened to government, we have hit two hurdles – the first hurdle being that the agreement that was signed between the previous government and the United States stipulates that: ‘The government of Ghana is to take measures to facilitate the integration of Mr Mahmud Umar Muhammad Bin Atef and Khalid Muhammad Salih Al-Dhuby into Ghanaian society’.

“What this means is that while the United States’ obligations ends after two years, Ghana’s obligation continue even after that. In addition and even more significant, the Ministry for the Interior has informed my ministry of records at the Refugee Board which reveal that the government at the time granted the two detainees refugee status.

“This follows requests by the National Security to then-Chairman of the National Refugee Board. They were issued a decision letter dated 21 July 2016, recognising their status as refugees. The implication is that in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the status of refugees of 1951 and the 1967 Protocol of the Status of Refugees, as well as the provision of the Refugee Law 1992, PNDC law 305D of Ghana, the two have attained the status of refugees in our country. The most essential component of refugee status and asylum is protection against return to a country where a person has reason to fear persecution…” the minister explained.

She added that “government is constrained to explore any further option at this time and will await an in-depth examination of the matter by appropriate agencies.”

Source: Ghana/ClassFM