Kofi Ampeah Woode
Ghana has engaged its immediate northern neighbour – Burkina Faso in two days of consultations, under the sponsorship of Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), to reaffirm mutual boundaries, by reconstructing all destroyed boundary pillars along their common international boundary line.
The 2-day meeting held in Burkina Faso’s Capital of Ouagadougou, under the financial help of the German federal enterprise, from 2 to 3 March 2023, as a sequel to an introductory meeting at Paga, Ghana, on 16 July 2021, saw the boundary commissions of the neighbours agree to conduct joint reconnaissance activities, as part of reaffirmation exercises.
The National Coordinator of the Ghana Boundary Commission (GhBC) – Major General (Maj Gen) Emmanuel Wekem Kotia, stressed on the importance of the meeting to help the two Commissions discuss challenges facing their common boundary, and to develop strategies for managing them.
The General further urged GIZ, to help in funding the two boundary Commissions to commence the reaffirmation process early enough, to prevent the land boundary from becoming a source of dispute between the two neighbours.
The Permanent Secretary for the Burkina Faso National Boundary Commission – Madam Salimata Dabal, expressed eagerness for the achievement of mutual aims of the two boundary commissions.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Component Manager of the GIZ/African Union Border Programme (AUBP) – Dr Sanou Bakary, said the reaffirmation of boundaries of countries is a good way to prevent conflicts between countries.
Under AUBP Phase IV (2020 to 2022), the Federal Government of Germany through the German Federal Foreign Office, via the GIZ, provides support to the African Union (AU); where Regional Economic Communities (RECs) are strengthened to support border governance initiatives of their Member States, and improve their capabilities.
Ghana’s Ambassador to Burkina Faso – His Excellency Adagbila Boniface Gambila was present at the opening ceremony.
