Let’s be compassionate towards ex-Gitmo inmates – Mahama

“This may be some of the reasons why we don’t encounter wars in this country… therefore, I will say that we should not be scared, we should not be perturbed”, Rev. Wengam added.

Mr Atef said they were huge fans of Ghana footballer Asamoah Gyan, and numerous detainees at Guantanamo Bay supported the Black Stars at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

ACSC has noted with studied observation the position of some Ghanaians that the two Yeminis pose a security risk to Ghana as their presence will draw attraction to Ghana and put the country on the radar of terrorists.

Others have accused Mahama’s government of eyeing financial benefits from the deal, with Vicky Bright, a former advisor to ex-president John Kufuor accusing the government of “importing trouble to Ghana’s shores”. “He’s a very smart guy and I really wish him the best”.

“We were very excited to come here because we love people in Ghana – somebody like Asamoah Gyan”. Even other detainees like Ghanaians.

In addition to taking in the Yemenis, Ghana said two other people from Rwanda who were tried by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda will also be allowed to settle in the country.

Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Hanna Tetteh said “they [Atef and Al-Dhuby] are unable to return to Yemen at the moment” and that the Ghana government has agreed to accept them for a period of two years after which they may leave the country. “When Ghana beat America, we were very happy, were celebrating, we make some celebration, we talk to the guard or the interrogator we told him look at that we win”.

A security expert Kwesi Aning said Ghananians must be sceptical of assurances that Atef and Al-Dhuby no longer belonged to any terrorist group.

Guantanamo Bay now holds 105 detainees. Bin Atef was identified by in the same documents as “an admitted member of the Taliban”.

The two men were captured in Afghanistan, following the US-led invasion to overthrow the Taleban government in 2011.

Obama came into office pledging to close the detention center but has been thwarted by Congress, which has barred sending any prisoner to the US for any reason and placed restrictions on sending them elsewhere.

The 2016 National Defence Authorisation Act, passed in November, banned moving any detainees to the United States.

Atef and Dhuby were among 17 detainees deemed low-risk that Defense Secretary Ashton Carter approved for transfer last month. Obama announced at the time he opposed that provision, but he signed the bill anyway.