GAF, BoG, other security services partner to conduct counter terrorism simulation exercise in Tamale

The Ghana Armed Forces’ 6 Garrison, in collaboration with other security services in the region and the Bank of Ghana (BoG), conducted a simulation exercise codenamed “EXERCISE RESOLUTE RESPONSE” in Tamale on Wednesday.

The exercise was to practice the security services’ tactics, techniques, and procedures related to counter-terrorism operations and hostage rescue situations. It was also to test the staff of the Bank of Ghana’s preparedness and response to such threats.

The exercise featured troops from the 69 Airborne Force, 6 Infantry Battalion, Air Force Base Tamale, personnel from the Ghana Police Service (GPS), and medical personnel from the 6 Medical Reception.

Command Operations Officer Colonel FWK Agbebo, on behalf of General Officer Commanding Northern Command Brigadier General M Essien, noted that the exercise had been a success and the participation from all was highly commendable.

He stated that the threats from the Sahel were real and imminent, and that such exercises were necessary to mitigate the threats posed by terrorist armed groups and violent extremist groups.

“The aim of this simulation is to test our techniques, practices, and procedures in case something like this happens,” he said. “We all know what is happening in the Sahel region, where terrorist groups are active and are moving southward. These terrorists need a lot of money to execute their missions, and the Bank of Ghana is a valuable asset to them if they were to get it.

“So we planned a simulation exercise between the BoG and the security services to see how we would respond if something like that happened. The exercise went very well, and we were able to identify our strengths and weaknesses. We will now go back to the drawing board and improve so that we can perform better in reality.”

Base Commander Air Commodore Joshua Mensah-Larkai also commended the participants for a well-executed exercise. He urged the Bank staff to reflect on the lessons they learned during the exercise, as they may be beneficial to them in the future.