President John Mahama has revealed he will appeal to Russian President Vladimir Putin to agree to a ceasefire when he travels to Russia for the Russia-Africa Summit.
According to Mahama, he intends to use the visit to urge the Russian leader to halt hostilities.
Speaking at the Financial Times Africa Summit in London, President Mahama stated, “Indeed, I’m going to Russia for the Russia-Africa summit and try to convince President Putin to have a ceasefire if I can”.
“We are friends to all and enemies to none. And Ghana’s policy of non-alignment has served us well. And so we welcome investors from all over the world,” he said.
Mahama further disclosed that Ghana’s approach was focused on attracting investment that benefits both the country and its partner rather than allowing geopolitical rivalries to shape economic decisions.
“It’s not about competition. It’s about investment and a fair return to everybody, including ourselves,” he said.
Mahama argued that investment should generate wider economic benefits, saying, “We’ve gone past the time where you had enclaves of prosperity surrounded by impoverished communities. It’s in the interest of the investor to have a safe environment. You cannot have prosperity in the midst of poverty. That itself is a danger to investments. And so it’s a win-win. It’s not a zero-sum game”.
Meanwhile, Mahama’s comment comes just days after Israel’s Ambassador to Ghana, HE Roey Gilad, questioned the Mahama government’s diplomatic approach to the Russia-Ukraine war and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The Israeli Ambassador to Ghana questioned why President John Dramani Mahama has been more outspoken about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and not the Russia-Ukraine war.
Speaking at an event, the Israeli envoy noted that Ghana had maintained a largely non-aligned position on the war between Russia and Ukraine, with limited public criticism of Moscow’s invasion.
He stated, “On the Ukraine-Russia conflict, Ghana is very much non-aligned. We don’t hear much criticism of Russia for their aggression against Ukraine”.
HE Roey Gilad contrasted this with what he described as the Ghanaian government’s vocal position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
He further asked Rev Ntim Fordjour, who also attended the event, whether he understood the apparent difference in the government’s responses to the two international conflicts.
He questioned, “But as for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the current government is very loud; bear in mind that you are a member of the opposition. Can you understand the two different patterns?”
However, the NPP MP distanced himself from speaking on behalf of the government, explaining that he was not a government spokesperson or an official representative of Ghana’s foreign policy.
Ntim Fordjour stated, “I cannot pretend to be an authority on the foreign policy of Ghana. Neither am I the government spokesperson or representative on government foreign policy”.
The NPP MP, however, noted that from a security-based perspective on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Israel faces threats from both non-state actors and, at times, other states.
Ntim Fordjour added, “One country faces existential threats from non-state actors, and even at some point from state actors. So, at both asymmetric and symmetric levels, we are facing threats”.
Also, the Assin South MP referenced Ghana’s national security strategy, highlighting that it recognises terrorism as a global and regional threat capable of undermining domestic security.
According to Ntim Forjour, the strategy acknowledges the need for states to take essential measures to safeguard their national security interests.
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