Ghana has stopped talks on a multi-year aid agreement with the United States after Washington sought access to citizens’ personal data, according to a source close to the West African country’s leadership.
After dismantling the long-standing USAID agency and limiting the involvement of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the United States has struck new health aid partnerships across Africa.
“The deal is dead,” the source said last week, noting that Ghana’s negotiation team included health authorities, implying that it was at least somewhat health-related.
According to the source, the US team grew “hostile” and increased “pressure” after Ghana failed to hand up personal data.
The arrangement would have provided Ghana with $109 million in funds over five years, according to the source, who spoke to AFP on the condition of anonymity and did not disclose the proposal’s particular areas of concentration.
A representative told AFP in an emailed statement that the US State Department “does not disclose the details of ongoing bilateral negotiations” and said the funds would have benefited “fighting HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, and other infectious diseases.”
