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Ghana–EU Partnership Becomes ‘Indispensable’ as Sahel Crisis Escalates

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In the middle of the Sahel desert in northern Mali, a French soldier from the Barkhane force, armed and helmeted, stands protectively in front of a Malian army (FAMA: Forces Armées Maliennes)Image bypicture alliance / Hans Lucas | Frédéric Pétry © (Insert: EU-Ghana flag)

The European Union’s top envoy for the Sahel, João Cravinho, says Ghana has become an indispensable partner in confronting the rapidly deteriorating security landscape across the Sahel.

He warns that the crisis now threatens both West Africa and Europe in equal measure.

According ot the UN, the Sahel, a vast semi-arid region in Africa that includes the countries of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, is experiencing one of the world’s most severe humanitarian and protection crises.

Cravinho, who wrapped up a three-day mission to Ghana on Friday, December 5, 2025, said the EU’s engagements in Accra and Tamale reaffirmed a simple but urgent truth: the instability stretching from Mali through Burkina Faso to Niger can no longer be viewed as a distant problem.

“We know from experience that terrorist organisations do not stay where they are,” he told journalists after touring the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum. “They are a curse for the populations immediately affected, and they become a threat to others. European security is threatened by the establishment of terrorist organisations in the Sahel.”

Indiscriminate attacks by armed groups and militias, insecurity, widespread human right violations, including gender-based violence and violence against children, and the effects of climate change have triggered massive displacements across the Sahel region.

‘A partnership we need — not just one we want’

In unusually candid remarks, Cravinho said the EU now sees Ghana as a “reliable and necessary” partner — not only because of its democratic stability, but because of its strategic location at the gateway to coastal West Africa.

His meetings with President John Mahama, Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, top national security officials, and agencies working directly on counter-terrorism, he said, underscored a shared recognition: the next one to two years will be critical for preventing the Sahel’s instability from cascading southward.

Ghanaian officials, he added, repeatedly described the EU as a “fundamental partner” in safeguarding the region — a sentiment he said was matched on the European side.

Why the urgency? Shifting geopolitics and a widening conflict

Cravinho pointed to several factors accelerating the need for closer cooperation: a surge in jihadist activity across Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, five coups in three years in the Sahel, Burkina Faso’s conflict spilling toward northern Ghana, shifts in U.S. policy toward Africa, creating new uncertainty in the region’s broader security architecture

Together, he said, these changes demand tighter Ghana–EU coordination — on intelligence, border security, humanitarian support, and long-term development strategies.

Tamale visit: ‘Reading about the Sahel is one thing. Seeing its impact is another.’

Cravinho’s stop in Tamale, close to the Sahel’s southern edge, appears to have made a strong impression.

“It is different to read about the Sahel from a distance,” he said. “Going to the northern region and listening to people on the ground — whether the army, police, immigration or civil society — gives a deeper sense of the pressures and dynamics, particularly from Burkina Faso.”

Local security officials reportedly briefed him on how escalating violence in Burkina Faso has intensified migration pressures and heightened the risk of extremist infiltration.

For Europe, the stakes are equally high. Instability in the Sahel fuels displacement, extremism, and transnational threats that inevitably ripple northward.

Cravinho’s visit — and his unusually blunt warnings — reflect a growing consensus in European diplomatic circles: protecting the Sahel’s southern flank is no longer optional. It is strategic.

And Ghana, he says, will remain central to that effort.

Ghana News

Ex-President Akufo-Addo and President Mahama Exchange Pleasantries on Easter

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Kwahu, Ghana – Former President Nana Akufo-Addo paid a courtesy call on President John Dramani Mahama on Holy Saturday, April 4, 2026, while both leaders were in the Kwahu enclave for the annual Easter celebrations.

The meeting took place as President Mahama participated in activities linked to the Kwahu Business Forum, a major event held alongside the Easter festivities.

Akufo-Addo, who has maintained a nearly two-decade tradition of spending Easter in Kwahu, described the visit as a cordial engagement during the sacred period.

In a Facebook post, the former president wrote: “On the Holy Saturday of Easter, while in Kwahu where for almost two decades I have consecutively visited during the sacred period of Easter, I called on the President of the Republic, H. E. John Dramani Mahama who is also in Kwahu.”

The encounter highlights a moment of peaceful political civility between the current and immediate past leaders of Ghana amid the festive season. No further details about the substance of their discussion were made public.

The visit comes at a time when both leaders are actively involved in national and regional development conversations, with Mahama using the Kwahu platform to engage stakeholders on economic matters.

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Ghana News

Mahama Calls Christ’s Birthplace an ‘Epicentre of War’, New Airport Concourse Planned and Other Big Stories in Ghana Today

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We have curated the most relevant and impactful stories from Ghana to keep you informed.

‘It’s Painful Christ’s Birthplace Now an Epicentre of War’ – President Mahama
President John Dramani Mahama has described the ongoing violence in the Middle East as a “painful irony,” noting that the birthplace of Christianity and the land where Christ preached love, forgiveness, and peace has become a major centre of conflict. In his Easter message delivered at Black Star Square on April 3, 2026, Mahama said the suffering in the Holy Land cannot be ignored during the season of Easter. He extended Ghana’s thoughts and prayers to the people of Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Iran, and the wider Middle East region, urging world leaders to embrace restraint, dialogue, and respect for human dignity.
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Gov’t to Construct New Concourse at Accra International Airport to Ease Congestion
The Ghana Airports Company Limited will begin construction this month on an ultra-modern concourse linking Terminal 2 and Terminal 3 at Kotoka International Airport. The project aims to eliminate current operational bottlenecks, enable seamless passenger transfers, and significantly improve hub efficiency. Key features include five additional passenger boarding bridges, five passenger holding areas, bi-directional travelators, new escalators and elevators, a VIP lounge, four business lounges, and four retail and duty-free pods. The expansion forms part of a broader modernisation drive to provide world-class facilities and strengthen Ghana’s position as a competitive aviation hub in West Africa.
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Gov’t Procures Over 24,000 Medical Equipment to Support Free Primary Healthcare Rollout
The Ghanaian government has acquired 24,534 pieces of medical equipment to strengthen health facilities ahead of the nationwide rollout of its free primary healthcare policy. The consignment, inspected by Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, includes baby incubators, radiant warmers, oxygen concentrators, X-ray machines, ultrasound devices, laboratory analysers, vital signs monitors, glucometers, patient monitors, infusion devices, delivery beds, and hospital beds. The equipment will be distributed across government hospitals to improve diagnostics, newborn care, and overall service delivery at the primary level.
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Ghana to Manufacture First Vaccine with Support from Indonesia
Ghana is set to begin local production of its first vaccine with technical and partnership support from the Indonesian government. Honorary Consul of Indonesia to Ghana, Paskal A B Rois, confirmed that a high-level delegation from Ghana’s National Vaccine Institute, Food and Drugs Authority, and GIZ visited Indonesia late last year to finalise arrangements. Once operational, Ghana will become the third African country — after Senegal and South Africa — to manufacture vaccines domestically. The initiative is expected to enhance the country’s health security and reduce dependence on imported vaccines.
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No Business Thrives Without Trust in Justice System — Chief Justice
Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie has emphasised that trust in the judicial system is essential for business growth and investor confidence in Ghana. Speaking at the Kwahu Business Forum on April 4, 2026, he stated that contracts must be honoured, property protected, and disputes resolved fairly and predictably for any economy to flourish. The Chief Justice announced that the judiciary is repositioning itself to become an active partner in creating a business-friendly environment anchored in the rule of law. He warned that delays and uncertainty in the justice system carry real economic costs by discouraging investment.
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Ghana President Convenes Emergency Cabinet Meeting to Cushion Ghanaians from Soaring Fuel Prices

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President John Dramani Mahama has convened an emergency cabinet meeting to address the sharp rise in fuel prices caused by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, particularly the escalation involving Iran.

Speaking on Saturday, April 4, 2026, during the second day of the Kwahu Business Forum, President Mahama stated that the meeting will focus on practical interventions to ease the burden on citizens.

He specifically mentioned the possibility of adjustments in fuel margins and other components of the price build-up to help keep prices relatively stable while hoping for de-escalation of the conflict.

“I have called for this emergency cabinet meeting to decide on specific measures we can take to cushion petroleum prices,” Mahama said. “There are adjustments we can make, particularly in the margins, to help maintain relatively stable prices as we pray for the war to cease.”

The President assured Ghanaians that the government remains committed to protecting the economy from external shocks and has taken steps to build resilience.

“I can confidently tell you that the economy will not collapse because of the war in Iran,” he stated.

Mahama also commended transport unions for showing restraint by not immediately increasing lorry fares despite the fuel price surge.

He urged them to continue exercising patience as the government works on relief measures. Fuel prices rose significantly effective April 1, 2026, with petrol increasing to approximately GH¢13.30 per liter (a 15% hike) and diesel to GH¢17.10 per liter (a 19% hike) for the first half of April.

The government is reviewing options including reductions in margins and levies to provide relief to consumers.

This latest development highlights the direct link between global geopolitical tensions and domestic living costs in Ghana, as the government balances immediate relief with longer-term economic stability.

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