Ghana News
How African Nations Are Responding to the Iran-Israel Conflict
Accra, Ghana / London – March 1, 2026 – As the Israel-Iran conflict enters its most dangerous phase following joint US-Israeli airstrikes that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and triggered massive Iranian missile and drone retaliations across the Gulf, African governments have moved quickly to protect their citizens and diplomatic presence in the region.
African governments have issued a range of responses following Israel’s ongoing airstrikes against Iran. While some states, such as South Africa, Sudan and Mauritania, condemned the attacks, others refrained from criticism.
The African Union was among the first to respond, expressing “deep concern” over the violent escalation, which killed hundreds of Iranians and wounded thousands, and calling on all parties to avoid further military action.
In a statement, the organisation urged “maximum restraint” and warned that the situation posed a “serious threat to international peace and security”.
South Africa, a long-time pro-Palestine ally, condemned the Israeli attack, slamming violations of international law. The country has consistently stood against Israel’s military actions in Gaza. In December 2023, it brought a case before the ICJ arguing that the war on the besieged territory breached the 1948 United Nations Genocide Convention.
Meanwhile, Mauritania issued a strong statement condemning the strikes as an “attack on Iranian sovereignty and a violation of the UN Charter”. Protests were also held outside the US embassy in Nouakchott, with people voicing opposition to Israel’s actions.
Ghana has not issued a statement on its sentiments about the strike by Israel and the U.S. that has triggered what observers fear could be a long war.
Several African countries that maintain close ties with Israel have withheld comment. Among them is Morocco, which has not issued any official statement.
The country normalized relations in December 2020 under the US-brokered Abraham Accords. Since then, they have bolstered cooperation across defence, cybersecurity, and trade. In 2021, Israel opened a liaison office in Rabat, with the North African nation receiving advanced military technology like drones and air defence systems in the same period.
Rwanda is another Israeli ally that has remained silent. Kigali and Tel Aviv have long cooperated on intelligence, security and agricultural technology.
Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Kenya and Ethiopia, all of which have strong bilateral ties with Israel, have also avoided making direct statements about the attacks. Their responses have either been muted or framed in general terms about the need for regional stability.
Analysts noted that their neutrality is likely seeking to protect strategic relationships with Tel Aviv, while avoiding public backlash or diplomatic tension with other African and Middle Eastern allies. Many states continue to rely on US and EU development funding, which supports Israeli-aligned foreign policy.
According to an explainer published by The New Arab, several African countries with significant diaspora communities in the Gulf and Iran have activated emergency protocols, issued travel advisories, begun partial or full evacuations, and urged restraint to prevent further escalation.
Key responses include:
- Ghana has partially evacuated non-essential staff from its Tehran embassy, retaining only essential personnel for consular support. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs advised nationals in Iran, Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE to shelter in place, avoid crowds and sensitive sites, and register with diplomatic missions. Non-essential travel to the Middle East has been strongly discouraged.
- Nigeria finalized emergency evacuation plans for citizens in Iran and Israel, with the foreign ministry coordinating logistics and urging immediate registration.
- Sudan announced the immediate evacuation of all Sudanese nationals from affected areas.
- Uganda is airlifting 48 students out of the region via Turkey.
- Kenya is arranging similar repatriation flights for its citizens.
- South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) urged nationals to exercise vigilance, register with missions for tracking, and avoid unnecessary movement.
The conflict has severely disrupted commercial aviation, with airspace closures in Iran, Iraq, Qatar, and the UAE leading to mass flight cancellations.
Airlines, including Emirates, Etihad, Qatar Airways, and others, suspended services, stranding thousands—including African sports teams (such as Ghana’s Black Queens football squad in Dubai) and students. Cruise lines like MSC Cruises also cancelled sailings.
The crisis has raised alarms over the safety of African migrant workers, students, and professionals in the Gulf, where remittances from the region are vital to many economies. Higher global oil and LNG prices resulting from the turmoil threaten to reverse recent single-digit inflation gains in oil-importing African nations and could exacerbate energy poverty and food price pressures.
African Union officials and analysts have called for urgent de-escalation, emphasizing that prolonged conflict in the Middle East risks destabilizing fragile economies, disrupting remittances, and diverting global attention from pressing continental issues such as debt, climate resilience, and security in the Sahel.
As the situation remains highly fluid, foreign ministries across Africa continue to monitor developments and prepare for further contingencies.
Ghana News
Ghana Ties Rice Imports to Local Production, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital Halts Emergency Admissions, and Other Big Stories in Ghana Today
These are the most relevant and impactful stories from across Ghana today, presented as concise updates on key developments across the country.
Government to Tie Rice Imports to Local Production in Major Policy Shift
The Ghanaian government is set to introduce a significant policy linking rice import permits directly to investments in local rice production and milling facilities. This move by the Ministry of Agriculture aims to boost domestic farming, reduce the country’s growing rice import bill, and accelerate progress toward food self-sufficiency. Read the full story here
Edem Senanu Questions Procedural Lapses in Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill Process
Chairman of Advocates for Christ, Edem Senanu, has raised concerns over how Parliament’s House of Records handled the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, questioning procedural and drafting issues that emerged after its passage. Read the full story here
Sheikh Shaibu Warns Against Politicising Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill
Spokesperson for the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Aremeyaw Shaibu, has cautioned the NDC and NPP against turning the anti-LGBTQ+ bill into a political contest, stressing that Ghana already has a broad national consensus on the matter rooted in cultural and religious values. Read the full story here
Honest Ghanaian Rewarded GH¢10,000 for Returning Lost ATM Cash
Fidelity Bank has rewarded Emmanuel Appiah Boateng with GH¢10,000 for his honesty after he returned GH¢4,000 he found left behind at one of its ATMs. Read the full story here
Nigel Gaisie Files GH¢10m Defamation Suit Against Kumchacha
Prophet Nigel Gaisie has sued Prophet Nicholas Osei (Kumchacha) for GH¢10 million over alleged defamatory statements questioning his prophetic ministry. Read the full story here
680 Ghanaians to Be Evacuated from South Africa Amid Xenophobia Concerns
The Ghana High Commission in South Africa has announced plans to evacuate 680 Ghanaians (340 on June 6 and 340 on June 7, 2026) due to xenophobia-related safety issues. Read the full story here
Free SHS Suppliers to Picket at Education Ministry Over GH¢50m Debt
The National Association of Institutional Suppliers (NAIS) will picket at the Ministry of Education on June 11, 2026, over unpaid debts of approximately GH¢50 million for supplies delivered under the Free Senior High School programme since 2023. Read the full story here
Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital Halts Emergency Admissions
The Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi has temporarily halted new emergency admissions after its Accident and Emergency ward exceeded capacity due to overwhelming patient numbers. Read the full story here
15 dead, 25 injured in head-on collision at Peki-Tsame
At least 15 people have been confirmed dead and 25 others injured following a devastating head-on collision between a container truck and a passenger bus at Peki-Tsame in the Volta Region. The fatal accident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, 2 June 2026, near the premises of Peki Senior High School, prompting an emergency response from personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS). Read the full story here
Wednesday, June 3, 2026. Stay informed with today’s front pages of Ghanaian newspapers, all in one place.
Ghana News
Is the UN Losing Its Legitimacy? Ghana’s President Says Permanent Security Council Bias ‘Eats Away’ Trust
The continued exclusion of Africa from permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council is not merely a procedural flaw but a structural imbalance that is systematically eroding the credibility of the multilateral system, Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama warned on Monday.
Speaking at Chatham House, the London-based international affairs think tank, Mahama argued that the UN’s primary decision-making body risks becoming untenable as a steward of global peace and security if it fails to reflect the demographic and political realities of the 21st century.
“This is not nearly a procedural anomaly,” Mahama said. “It is a historical injustice and a structural imbalance that undermines the credibility of the multilateral system itself.”
The president’s remarks come as the UN Security Council (UNSC) remains composed of five permanent members (P5) – the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, and China – all of which were Allied powers in World War II.
Africa, home to 54 UN member states, the largest regional bloc in the organization, holds no permanent seat and only three non-permanent seats that rotate every two years.
Mahama noted that the representational gap is poised to become more pronounced as global demographics shift. According to UN population projections, Africa will account for nearly a quarter of the world’s population by 2050.
“This eats away at the trust in the system,” a senior official from the Ghanaian presidency later summarized, reinforcing Mahama’s central thesis that legitimacy in global governance requires equitable participation.
The Ghanaian leader affirmed that his government would continue to advocate for “comprehensive reform” of the UN, including permanent, veto-wielding seats for African nations.
The African Union has long pushed for a common position known as the Ezulwini Consensus, which demands at least two permanent seats for the continent, with the same powers and responsibilities as current P5 members.
However, Mahama’s critique extended beyond the Security Council. He linked the UN’s representational crisis to what he described as parallel failures in the international financial architecture. He argued that debt vulnerabilities across the Global South are not isolated fiscal challenges but structural development constraints that limit investment in health, education, infrastructure, climate adaptation, and industrial transformation.
“The international debt system must therefore become fairer, more flexible and more development-focused,” Mahama said.
He also called for reforms to global taxation frameworks, asserting that developing economies should derive equitable value from economic activity generated within their jurisdictions. A stable international order, he warned, cannot be sustained while prosperity remains structurally unequal.
To illustrate the tangible cost of such inequality, Mahama pointed to the COVID-19 pandemic. African nations, he said, discovered that access to vaccines and essential medical supplies depended not on the urgency of public health need but on their position within the global supply hierarchy. That experience, he noted, directly prompted Ghana to launch the Accra Reset Initiative – a strategic framework designed to move Africa and the Global South from dependency toward resilience, and from passive participation toward active agenda-setting in global governance.
President Mahama concluded by rejecting any characterization of Ghana as a passive observer of the changes reshaping the international order.
“We see ourselves as active participants in shaping a more balanced, equitable, and cooperative international system,” he said.
No immediate response was issued by the permanent members of the UN Security Council. Reform of the council requires an amendment to the UN Charter, which must be approved by two-thirds of the General Assembly and ratified by all five permanent members, each of whom holds a veto over their own status.
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