LONDON, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Ghana's President John Dramani Mahama said on Wednesday he was not concerned about Russian security assistance in the Sahel and that anyone committed to fighting terrorism is welcome in the region.
• “My opinion on this is that anybody who is committed to the fight against terrorism is welcome,” Mahama said atthe Financial Times Africa Summit in London
• On the deployment of a West African standby force to tackle insecurity,Mahama said the delay in deploying it was due to the lack of a UN resolution to help providethe finance needed
• Mahama also said that Ghana is aiming to ban exports of raw materials by 2030 in order to increase value added from critical minerals, specifically citinglithium, manganese, bauxite and gold
• He said 70% of Ghana's gold is currently being refined in Ghana before export, and said he was"sure that soon we refine 100% of gold"
• On cocoa, Mahama said he aiming to process at least 50% of cocoa beans locally, with only 50% of any year's production available for exports
• "That should bring some of the processing home and create jobs for people," he said
(Reporting by Libby George, additional reporting by David Lewis; Editing by Karin Strohecker and Xevi Fontdegloria)
