ACCRA, Ghana — Two former Guantanamo prisoners thanked Ghana for allowing them to settle in the country following their release, as the president of the West African nation sought to quell fears that the men posed any danger.

The two Yemenis, Mahmud Umar Muhammad Bin Atef and Khalid Muhammad Salih Al-Dhuby, were held at the US base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as enemy combatants, accused of training with Al Qaeda and fighting with the Taliban. They had been cleared for release in 2009, but the United States won’t send Guantanamo prisoners to Yemen because of instability there and officials had to find another country to accept them.

Ghana’s president, John Mahama, on Tuesday urged residents to not be fearful nearly a week after the government said it would allow the two detainees to resettle in Ghana.

Associated Press