The interstellar object 3I/ATLAS has reignited discussions about Ghana’s readiness to defend its territory. NASA has described it as “just a comet with dust and it’s not even going to hit Earth.” Some have speculated it may carry AI technology or alien life.
For legal analyst Amanda Clinton Esq., the comet is a reminder of Ghana’s security gaps. “Can we defend our own borders?” she asks.
According to Clinton, the country has been without a substantive Minister of Defence for three months. The acting minister also serves as Finance Minister. “We unfortunately lost our defense minister three months ago and there is a fast and a furious call to the president to have a more substantive new defense head in order to defend our borders,” she said.
She described vulnerabilities in the nation’s defense infrastructure. “We’ve got an open northern border, unprotected coastlines, drones coming in, and zero real-time air defense radar. If something threw in tomorrow, alien or not, would we be able to defend ourselves?”
Clinton also highlighted legal and institutional gaps. “Under the Cybersecurity Act, we can, of course, fight digital threats. Under the Defense Act, we can fight physical ones. But what law covers interstellar objects or AI probes? None.”
On executive authority, she said: “Article 78, the president can reshuffle any minister at any time, but there’s actually no law compelling him to take timely action.”
She warned that these gaps undermine Ghana’s sovereignty. “We may have international recognition, but there are signs that we lack domestic control. without real capacity. Of course, we can say that we have our own borders, we can defend our own borders, but when we can’t actually do so, it is a real threat and a real security risk.”
Clinton urged policymakers to modernize the country’s defense systems. “Let’s start thinking more about AI defense, alien defense, space radar collaboration, for instance, and cross-border cybersecurity law. Security is not just about soldiers anymore. It’s about sensors, satellites, and systems that protect not just the land, but the space that we live in permanently in terms of long term.”
She emphasized that, “Perhaps it is time that Ghana not only focuses on that, but after the last three months of mourning, get a more substantive defense head that can take this fight forward, we need a new one to now take it forward and ensure that our security is not something that we just have on paper, but that we have substantively and that can actually protect us in all spheres.”
