Ghana has become the first African country to formalise a Security and Defence Partnership with the European Union (EU), a move aimed at strengthening the country’s capacity to address terrorism and insecurity in West Africa.
Speaking at the ceremony on Tuesday, March 24, Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang highlighted the recent killing of Ghanaian tomato traders in Burkina Faso as a stark reminder of the need for coordinated regional security measures.
She emphasised that closer cooperation with the EU is critical to maintaining peace and stability across the Sahel and West African sub-region.
“This demonstrates the strengthening collaboration between Ghana and the European Union in tackling evolving security challenges, especially in our sub-region and across the Sahel,” she said.
As part of the agreement, the EU will provide military equipment, including drones, vehicles, and motorcycles, to bolster Ghana’s security operations. The Vice President assured that the equipment would be deployed strategically to improve the country’s response to emerging threats.
High Representative and Vice President of the European Commission, Kaja Kallas, said the equipment is part of a €50 million support package provided to Ghana since 2023 to strengthen counter-terrorism efforts. She also highlighted ongoing EU initiatives to help regional countries address rising insecurity.
“The new agreement will help us work more closely in areas such as counter-terrorism, conflict prevention, and cybersecurity,” Kallas noted.
