Ghana and Burkina Faso have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral relations following a two-day official visit by Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, to Ouagadougou.
During the visit, Mr. Ablakwa held substantive discussions with Burkina Faso’s Prime Minister, His Excellency Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo, and his counterpart, Foreign Minister Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré. The talks were described as “impactful, deeply honest, and forward-looking,” with both sides agreeing to further deepen their cordial relations.
The two governments condemned recent terror attacks in the region, expressed condolences to affected families, and announced plans to design and adopt a new security framework aimed at neutralizing terrorism and violent extremism. They also established a new partnership on disaster management, particularly to address the perennial spillage of the Bagré Dam and its devastating consequences.
Mr. Ablakwa noted that the meetings built on earlier engagements between President John Mahama of Ghana and President Captain Ibrahim Traoré of Burkina Faso in January and March last year. He welcomed the reactivation of the Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation (PJCC), which had been dormant for six years.
At the conclusion of the PJCC, Ghana and Burkina Faso signed seven agreements covering:
- Mutual recognition of national driver’s licenses
- Transport and road transit cooperation
- A framework for cross-border cooperation
- Establishment of periodic consultation frameworks between border administrative authorities
- Creation of a joint commission to reaffirm the border between the two countries
- Cooperation on disaster prevention and humanitarian crisis management
- Joint efforts to combat illicit cultivation, production, and trafficking of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances
The Minister conveyed heartfelt appreciation to the Burkinabè government and people for their warm hospitality and frank discussions. “We cherish our fantastic Ghana–Burkina Faso relations,” he said, emphasizing the importance of the agreements in advancing regional security, trade, and cooperation.
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