President John Dramani Mahama has hailed Ghana-Mali relations
President John Dramani Mahama has hailed Ghana-Mali relations, emphasising Ghana’s commitment to ensuring the security of the West African subregion from terrorism and insurgency.
“We are aware of the geopolitical situation in our subregion and the unfortunate events unfolding in the Sahel,” he noted. “This is not a new issue, but it continues to grow more concerning than before, particularly the challenges of insurgency and terrorism.”
President Mahama made these remarks when Malian Prime Minister Abdoulaye Maiga delivered a special message to him from President Assimi Goita in Accra on Thursday.
The president emphasised that the security of the subregion was a shared goal, which necessitates cooperation between the countries to ensure its safety.
“We have noted the sovereign decisions of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger to form a separate confederation. But despite that, God has placed us together in this subregion for a purpose,” he said.
Quoting a Ghanaian proverb, he added: “If your neighbour’s house is on fire, you must assist in putting it out, otherwise, the fire will spread to your own house.”
He stressed that despite the challenges the subregion faced, the countries should continue to strengthen their relations.
“I believe that eventually, we’ll be able to integrate again as one entity. Ghana remains a strong neighbour and solidly in solidarity with Mali,” President Mahama said.
He noted that West Africans continued to intermarry, trade among themselves, and maintain relationships that transcended individual countries. There is a significant Malian population in Ghana, and the government continues to ensure their safety as they contribute to the country’s economic progress.
He assured the Malian president of the free flow of trade and movement between the two countries.
President Mahama expressed satisfaction with the long-standing Ghana-Mali relations, dating back to the era of Ghana’s founding President, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, and Modibo Keïta, Mali’s first president. This union also included Guinea, and although they were unable to achieve African unity, their collaboration remained significant.
He acknowledged the stalled progress of technical cooperation between the two countries, mentioning that the last meeting was held in 2011, and discussions scheduled for 2012 in Mali did not take place due to the situation at the time. He expressed a desire to revive this process to enhance their relations through the exchange of technical teams and addressing any existing challenges.
President Mahama also extended his gratitude to President Goita for sending a strong delegation to honour him during his inauguration on January 7. He expressed a willingness to arrange high-level visits between the two leaders once his administration was settled.
Prime Minister Maiga, in turn, congratulated President Mahama on his election, calling it a victory for Pan-Africanism. He expressed confidence that both Presidents Goita and Mahama had the leadership needed to strengthen cooperation between the two countries, particularly in economic and security matters.
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