EU backs Ghana’s security as West Africa faces rising instability
The European Union (EU) has reiterated its commitment to supporting Ghana’s security and stability as political and security challenges escalate across West Africa.
The assurance comes in the wake of ongoing instability in Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali, all under military rule, and their recent announcement to withdraw from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Speaking in a media interview, the EU Ambassador to Ghana, His Excellency Rune Skinnebach, described Ghana as a vital stabilising force in the sub-region at a time when insecurity continues to spread across its neighbours.
“The EU has a number of instruments in that respect. We have our traditional cooperation, but the most important is the security and defence initiative, which is ongoing. We are also in the process of establishing a broader partnership in security and defence,” he said.
Mr Skinnebach disclosed that the EU has already delivered significant amounts of military equipment to Ghana, a move he described as “unusual” but necessary to strengthen the country’s defence capacity.
“We want Ghana to remain not only an island of peace but also a stabilising factor within the Sahel region, which is marked by widespread instability from many actors, not all of whom are well-intentioned,” he noted.
The EU envoy stressed that Ghana’s secure status is widely acknowledged, even by destabilising elements in neighbouring states.
He also described this as part of the country’s “luck” and a key reason the EU continues to invest in its security resilience.
