Spanish military personnel provide photo intelligence training to the Ghanaian Armed Forces

•  Fourteen members of the Ghanaian Navy are undergoing four weeks of training in image analysis in the city of Accra

Military personnel from the 16th Canary Islands Brigade Headquarters Battalion (BRICAN) are delivering a specialised training course in image intelligence for members of the Ghanaian Navy in Accra, as part of the European Union Security and Defence Initiative for the Gulf of Guinea (EU SDI GoG).

Over four weeks, Staff Sergeant Carlos Alberto Moreno Mujica and Private Borja Alonso Torres are sharing their knowledge and experience in the field of image intelligence (IMINT) with fourteen members of the Ghanaian Armed Forces.

As Staff Sergeant Moreno Mujica points out, “this experience is proving very enriching for personnel from both countries. The Ghanaian military personnel are very keen to acquire this capability in image analysis and the production of IMINT reports, which will have an immediate impact on their day-to-day work. It is worth highlighting the treatment that the MTT personnel have received at all times; the relationship forged through this cooperation has been excellent.”

All in all, this training initiative demonstrates Spain’s commitment to international cooperation missions and to strengthening defence capabilities in West Africa, thereby contributing directly to regional security and stability in the Gulf of Guinea.

Spain in the EU SDI GoG

Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) Decision 2023/1599 established this European military cooperation initiative in Africa, which had the explicit support of Spain. Its main objective is to collaborate in the development of armed forces capable of containing and responding to the pressure exerted by armed terrorist groups in the West African countries where this cooperation is established: Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo and Benin.

Since October 2024, and following a planning process at European level, Spain has participated actively and in person in the EU SDI GoG. To date, Spanish military personnel have delivered several courses in Benin, Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana. In terms of content, these have ranged from the identification of military equipment from various armies around the world, the production of various IMINT reports, and the ability to conduct intelligence assessments, always in line with the interests of the armed forces of the African countries involved.