Ghana becomes 1st African nation to join EU security, defense partnership

ISTANBUL

Ghana has become the first African country to sign a security and defense partnership with the EU, marking a new phase in security cooperation focused on counterterrorism, cybersecurity, and regional stability.

The EU Security and Defense Partnership, already signed by the UK, Canada, Japan, Norway, and others, now extends to Ghana, Vice President Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang told a joint press conference with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas in the Ghanaian capital Accra on Tuesday.

“This demonstrates the strengthening collaboration between Ghana and the European Union in tackling evolving security challenges, especially in our subregion and across the Sahel,” she said.

The vice president said complex security threats continue to evolve across West Africa, highlighting the recent deaths of Ghanaian traders in Burkina Faso as a stark reminder of the region’s persistent dangers.

In responding to these challenges, she said, the partnership underscores the critical role of regional cooperation in protecting lives and maintaining stability across West Africa.

The EU has backed over 30 security projects, including around 40 training sessions for military and civilian forces, according to Opoku-Agyemang.

Security in Europe, Africa ‘deeply interconnected’

Kallas said the partnership matters because “security in Europe and Africa is deeply, deeply interconnected.”

“The new agreement allows us to work more closely in areas like counterterrorism, conflict prevention, cyber security,” the EU foreign policy chief said.

She added that Ghana will receive military equipment, including surveillance drones, anti-drone guns, and motorcycles.

Kallas also said both the EU and Ghana confront security challenges beyond their borders and have consistently called for peace in Ukraine, Sudan, the Sahel, and the Middle East.

Calling the Ukraine war “an existential threat for Europe,” she noted that it also has repercussions beyond Europe, including in Ghana.

She said that beyond its economic impact, the recruitment of African nationals “prey on economic hardship,” adding: “Your citizens should not be lured into a war that is not theirs.”

Kallas said she looks forward to working with Ghana during its term as African Union chair next year.