Ghana, EU sign first pact to counter West Africa's growing insecurity

Ghana and the European Union on Tuesday signed their first formal defence partnership, as the country presents itself as a regional bulwark against the growing jihadist violence roiling west Africa.

The agreement, signed in Accra by EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and Ghanaian Vice President Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, is aimed at strengthening cooperation in areas including counterterrorism, intelligence sharing and crisis response.

It comes as coastal west African nations seek to prevent a spillover of violence from the neighbouring Sahel, where armed groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group have intensified attacks in recent years.

"This partnership allows us to work more closely in areas that matter for the security of our citizens, both in Europe and Ghana," Kallas said, describing the deal as the first of its kind between the EU and an African country.

The agreement builds on a broader 50-million-euro ($54-million) EU support package delivered since 2023, which has included advanced communication systems and boats aimed at bolstering Ghana's border security.

The Ghanaian military will also receive surveillance drones, "anti-drone guns" and motorcycles, Kallas said.

Ghana's National Security Coordinator Osman Abdul-Razak said the partnership comes at a time of evolving threats at both national and regional levels.

The country shares a border with Burkina Faso, which, combined with other countries in the Sahel, accounted for nearly half of all terrorism-related deaths for the third consecutive year in 2025, according to a tally from the Global Terrorism Report released this month.

"The nature of security challenges continues to change, requiring stronger collaboration and improved capacity among security agencies," he said.

As jihadist insurgencies continue to wreak havoc in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, observers have warned that without sustained political and economic engagement to address long-neglected rural areas, military-focused campaigns won't be able to stem the violence on their own.

Last year, Ghanaian traders clashed with counterparts in Burkina Faso over cross-border tomato trade restrictions, highlighting how economic disputes can intersect with already strained security dynamics.

Fears of Sahelian jihadist expansion have been sparked by numerous attacks in Benin as well as an attack last year in Nigeria.

Ghana has remained much calmer -- in part, some researchers say, because armed groups from Burkina Faso often use northern Ghana to rest, refuel and evade authorities rather than as a target for attacks.