President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has urged national and regional stakeholders responsible for boundary commissions in West Africa to take all necessary measures within their powers to ensure peaceful borders and boundaries among all member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). He emphasized the importance of maintaining harmony and stability in the region, promoting economic integration, and enhancing the well-being of citizens.
The president was speaking at a meeting by the Ghana Boundary Commission (GhBC), led by Major General Emmanuel Kotia. The 3 day meeting brought together heads of boundary commissions from West Africa with aim of developing strategies and mechanisms for enhanced collaboration between national and regional stakeholders, ensuring effective implementation of border governance policies and promoting regional harmony in the West African region.
Addressing a delegation led by Major General Emmanuel Kotia, National Coordinator of the Ghana Boundary Commission, at the Jubilee House, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo noted that the ECOWAS initiative to unite boundary commission heads is a significant step, acknowledging the importance of collaboration in addressing border-related issues and promoting regional cooperation.
President Akufo-Addo, citing Ghana’s recent maritime boundary dispute with Côte d’Ivoire, which was resolved at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), and the ongoing dispute over the river Nile between Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan, emphasized the necessity for establishing a formalized mechanism to prevent and resolve boundary disputes at both regional and continental levels.
This institutionalized framework, he noted, would help mitigate the often-protracted and contentious nature of border disputes, promoting peace, stability, and cooperation among African nations.