Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has expressed gratitude to Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire for hosting Ghanaians who fled the recent communal conflict.
In a statement shared on social media, Ablakwa said he took time off his official duties in Ethiopia to hold telephone conversations with Burkina Faso’s Foreign Minister, Hon. Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré, and Côte d’Ivoire’s Foreign Minister, Hon. Kacou Houadja Léon Adom.
“I conveyed the heartfelt appreciation of President John Mahama, the government and people of Ghana for their demonstration of true Pan-African solidarity and admirable belief in our ECOWAS free movement protocols,” he said.
The discussions, according to Ablakwa, produced a clear roadmap. He explained that no effort will be spared to ensure the affected Ghanaians are well looked after and supported to return home.
He added that the foreign ministries of both Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire have agreed to hold urgent meetings with Ghana’s embassy officials in their respective countries to explore new mechanisms for enhancing the welfare and safety of displaced citizens.
Ablakwa further revealed that his impending working visits to Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire have been facilitated by his counterparts, who also offered to accompany him when he visits the displaced Ghanaians after concluding ongoing high-level commitments in Ethiopia led by Vice President Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang.
“The Mahama Administration will continue to care for all Ghanaians, and will not leave anyone behind,” Ablakwa assured.
He concluded his message with a call for peace and unity, saying, “May we work to secure lasting peace in all flashpoints of our beloved nation.
“And may we in the spirit of Pan-Africanism and African integration continue to open our borders to fellow Africans as Ghana has always championed, even as we pursue the dream of a borderless Africa.”
