Ghana and Burkina Faso have reaffirmed their longstanding ties following high-level discussions between their leaders, resulting in renewed cooperation across key sectors including security, transport, disaster management and cross-border relations.
Speaking after the engagements, Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, described his meetings with Burkina Faso’s Prime Minister, Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo, as candid, productive and far-reaching. He noted that separate talks with his Burkinabe counterpart, Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré, were equally constructive and focused on charting a progressive path for both countries.
According to the minister, the two governments resolved to strengthen their already cordial relations and intensify collaboration in areas of mutual interest. Both sides strongly condemned the recent terrorist attacks in the sub-region, extended condolences to affected families and agreed to develop and implement a comprehensive security framework aimed at tackling terrorism and violent extremism.
A new partnership on disaster management was also established, with particular attention to addressing the recurring spillage of the Bagré Dam and its devastating impact on communities in Ghana. The initiative is expected to improve coordination, preparedness and response mechanisms between the two nations.
The renewed cooperation follows earlier engagements between President John Mahama of Ghana and President Captain Ibrahim Traoré of Burkina Faso earlier this year. Building on those meetings, the two countries have officially reactivated their Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation (PJCC), which had been inactive for six years.
At the end of the PJCC session, Ghana and Burkina Faso signed seven bilateral agreements. These include accords on the mutual recognition of national driver’s licenses; transport and road transit; and a framework for cross-border cooperation. The two countries also agreed on mechanisms for regular consultations between border administrative authorities and the establishment of a joint commission to reaffirm their shared boundary.
Additional agreements cover cooperation in preventing and managing disasters and humanitarian crises, as well as collaboration in combating the illicit cultivation, production and trafficking of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.
The latest developments mark a significant step in deepening diplomatic, security and economic ties between the neighbouring West African nations.
Story by Freedom Etsey Lavoe/ahotoronline.com