Ghana and Burkina Faso have agreed on a new joint security framework designed to confront terrorism and violent extremism, signaling renewed urgency in addressing growing security threats across West Africa.
The announcement followed a two-day official visit by Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who held high-level meetings in Ouagadougou with Burkina Faso’s Prime Minister, Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo, and Foreign Minister, Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré.
In a public statement shared on February 21, 2026, Mr. Ablakwa described the engagements as “substantive, impactful and deeply honest,” emphasizing the shared resolve of both nations to confront escalating insecurity in the sub-region.
Joint Response to Terror Attacks
Both governments strongly condemned recent terrorist attacks within the region and extended condolences to affected families. According to Ghana’s Foreign Minister, the discussions culminated in a decision to design and adopt a comprehensive security framework aimed at neutralizing extremist threats and strengthening coordinated responses.
The framework is expected to enhance intelligence sharing, border surveillance, and joint security operations between the two neighboring countries, particularly along vulnerable frontier communities.
Revival of Key Bilateral Mechanism
A major outcome of the visit was the reactivation of the Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation (PJCC), which had been inactive for six years. The revived platform serves as a structured channel for dialogue and implementation of bilateral agreements across security, trade, and development sectors.
At the conclusion of the PJCC session, both countries signed seven agreements. Among them was a pact to combat the illicit cultivation, production, manufacture, and trafficking of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances — activities often linked to financing extremist networks. Additional measures were agreed to strengthen cross-border collaboration and institutional coordination.
Building on Presidential Engagements
The renewed cooperation builds on earlier engagements between Ghana’s President, John Dramani Mahama, and Burkina Faso’s leader, Ibrahim Traoré, who met in January and March this year to deliberate on regional security and bilateral relations.
Mr. Ablakwa expressed gratitude to the government and people of Burkina Faso for what he described as warm hospitality during his visit. He reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to deepening ties with its northern neighbor in pursuit of peace, stability, and shared prosperity in West Africa.
With terrorism continuing to pose a significant threat across the Sahel and coastal West Africa, the strengthened partnership between Accra and Ouagadougou is seen as a strategic move to safeguard both nations and contribute to broader regional security efforts.
Source: Africa Publicity
