Accra, Ghana – The Government of Ghana has formally initiated high-level diplomatic engagements with Singapore to establish a permanent embassy in the Asian financial and technology hub, marking a strategic expansion of its global diplomatic presence.

The announcement follows a working visit by a Ghanaian delegation led by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs James Gyakye Quayson to Singapore from April 10 to 15, 2026.

During discussions with Singapore’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Social and Family Development, Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim, Ghana officially conveyed its intention to open a resident mission.

The proposed embassy aims to enhance consular services for Ghanaian nationals, facilitate trade and investment flows, and deepen institutional cooperation in technology, capacity building, and economic development.

This move forms part of a broader foreign policy drive by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to establish new diplomatic missions and permanent chanceries in strategic locations, while reducing heavy reliance on rented premises that currently cost the state around $15 million annually.

Earlier commitments outlined at the 2025 Conference of Heads of Mission include opening missions in Massachusetts (USA), Dublin (Ireland), Lisbon (Portugal), and Singapore by 2026. Recent developments under this agenda include the opening of a new chancery in Ethiopia in February and planned missions in Brazil, Trinidad and Tobago, Serbia, and Hungary.

Singaporean authorities welcomed the proposal and expressed strong commitment to expanding bilateral ties with Ghana. Officials from both sides see the new mission as a platform to boost South-South cooperation and tap into Asia’s dynamic economic opportunities.

The establishment of the embassy is expected to be completed within the government’s 2026 diplomatic expansion timeline.

Bamenda, Cameroon – Pope Leo XIV has delivered a sharp rebuke against foreign entities exploiting Africa’s natural resources for profit, describing it as a major driver of instability and suffering during his visit to the conflict-ridden city of Bamenda in Cameroon.

Speaking to an estimated 20,000 worshippers at a Mass held at Bamenda Airport on Thursday, the pontiff said outsiders “in the name of profit, continue to lay their hands on the African continent to exploit and plunder it.”

He added that those who rob Africa of its resources often invest the profits in weapons, “thus perpetuating an endless cycle of destabilisation and death.”

The remarks form part of a series of unusually forthright statements made during his ongoing 11-day tour of Africa, which has also included pointed calls for the Cameroonian government to root out corruption to achieve lasting peace.

The Pope’s visit to Bamenda, a focal point of Cameroon’s nearly decade-long separatist rebellion in its English-speaking regions, comes as he seeks to promote peace and reconciliation. The conflict has claimed at least 6,000 lives and displaced hundreds of thousands.

At a peace meeting earlier in the day at Saint Joseph’s Cathedral, Leo described the world as being “ravaged by a handful of tyrants” and urged obedience to God over human authority. He commended local religious leaders and victims for their efforts to maintain interfaith harmony, noting that the crisis had not degenerated into a religious war.

The visit is the first by any pope to predominantly Muslim Algeria earlier in the week and continues to Angola and Equatorial Guinea.

Analysts say Leo’s strong focus on Africa early in his pontificate reflects the continent’s growing importance to the Catholic Church, where more than 20% of the world’s Catholics now reside and where the faith is expanding fastest.

Accra, Ghana – The Kingdom of Morocco has donated 2,000 metric tons of fertilizer to Ghana in a significant gesture aimed at bolstering the country’s agricultural productivity and food security amid global supply chain challenges.

The donation comes amid a severe global fertiliser shortage, driven by the Iran conflict and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. The conflict has blocked approximately 30% of global urea and phosphate trade, causing prices to surge by up to 85%, threatening a 10–15% drop in crop yields.

The global fertilizer crisis is heavily affecting importers in East Africa, India, and beyond, raising severe food security risks.

The fertilizer consignment from Morocco was officially received on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, during a ceremony at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Accra. Ghana’s Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa welcomed the donation, describing it as timely and reflective of the deepening bilateral ties between Ghana and Morocco.

He noted that this marks the second such consignment from Morocco and revealed that discussions are ongoing for potential collaboration on local fertilizer production to ensure long-term self-reliance.

Morocco’s Ambassador to Ghana, Imane Ouaadil, described the donation as a continuation of Morocco’s commitment to supporting agricultural development across Africa. She emphasised that the fertilizer would help Ghanaian farmers improve productivity, build resilience against climate change and rising input costs, and contribute to national food security goals. The Chief Director at Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Khadijah Iddrisu, added that the support represents a practical outcome of sustained diplomatic engagement and would directly aid ongoing efforts to boost agricultural output.

The donation comes as Ghana intensifies efforts to reduce dependence on imported inputs and enhance domestic agricultural value chains.

Beyond agriculture, both countries are exploring expanded cooperation in areas such as visa facilitation and sports development to strengthen people-to-people relations further.

The move underscores Morocco’s growing role as a key partner in supporting African nations’ efforts to achieve food sovereignty and sustainable development.