GHANA:1990 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT

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