Assessing the Defence Cooperation Agreements Between the USA and African Countries

Abstract

International security cooperation is regarded as one of the key and successful mechanisms to fight terrorism and other cross-border criminal activities worldwide. This paper focuses on the benefits and challenges of the US and African countries' defence cooperation, using Ghana as a case study. This study used 21 people as participants. The subjects were selected based on their unique knowledge and expertise in the phenomenon under study. The researchers used interviews to solicit the views of the participants on the Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA) between Ghana and the US focusing on the benefits and challenges. In conclusion, the study disclosed that no country has a monopoly on what it takes to fight terrorism and other transnational organised crime alone. The major challenges identified include the breach of domestic law, limited mutual trust, and discriminately ethnic and misguided religious practices. The challenges were stated as indispensable for the sustainability of the DCA and the successful mitigation of terrorism and transnational organised crime in West Africa.