Islamist militants operating in Burkina Faso are secretly using northern Ghana as a logistical hub to support their insurgency.
Sources, including Ghanaian security officials and regional diplomats, indicate that militants cross the border from Burkina Faso to access supplies like food, fuel, explosives, and medical care. While this approach has so far helped Ghana avoid the deadly attacks seen in neighboring countries, it risks allowing militants to establish roots and recruit within marginalized communities.
Ghana shares a 600-kilometer border with Burkina Faso, where insurgent groups like JNIM, affiliated with al-Qaeda, have taken control of significant territory. A JNIM leader recently stated their intent to expand operations into Ghana, Togo, and Benin. Unlike Benin and Togo, Ghana has not experienced a major attack, partly because militants avoid disrupting their supply lines or antagonizing Ghana’s military.
Ghana’s ambassador to Burkina Faso acknowledged that porous borders offer militants opportunities but denied any deliberate non-aggression arrangement with them. Ghana cooperates with Burkina Faso to combat the insurgents, though some sources suggest an informal strategy of avoiding escalation. High-ranking officials confirmed that some militants are monitored, used as informants, or handed over to Burkina Faso.
Analysts warn that militants are not just passing through Ghana but are also recruiting among local communities. Recent U.N. reports traced explosive materials used in Mali attacks back to mining operations in Ghana, raising concerns about deeper militant involvement. Although Ghana has recorded only a few violent incidents linked to extremist groups, militants remain active, using the country as a refuge and logistical base.