President John Dramani Mahama is set to arrive in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso on Monday, March 10, as part of his West African tour.
This visit marks Mahama’s first to Ouagadougou since his inauguration in January and is aimed at strengthening bilateral relations between Ghana and Burkina Faso.
The President’s West African tour, which has already taken him to Bamako, Mali and Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire will also include a stop over in Niamey, Niger, is a testament to Ghana’s commitment to regional cooperation and good neighbourliness.
In Bamako, Mahama held discussions with Malian leader General Assimi Goita, focusing on regional security concerns, economic growth, and the enduring friendship between the two nations.
John Mahama’s visit to Ouagadougou is expected to facilitate exchanges with Captain Ibrahim Traoré, President of Burkina Faso, on issues such as cooperation between the two countries, the security situation in the Sahel, and subregional and international geopolitics.
This visit comes on the heels of Mahama’s meeting with Alassane Ouattara in Abidjan, where he was commissioned to bring back the countries of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) to the subregional institution, ECOWAS.
The President’s efforts to engage with neighbouring countries and strengthen regional ties are part of his administration’s policy of good neighbourliness.
Mahama’s move to regional cooperation is built on the foundation laid by Ghana’s founding father, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, and his counterparts in the region.
-BY Daniel Bampoe
