Leaders of Ghana’s tomato trading community have issued a warning to drivers and market operators, urging caution on cross-border routes into northern Burkina Faso after a deadly terror attack that killed several Ghanaian traders earlier this month.
Speaking on JoyNews, Nana Tuffuor, head of the Ghana National Tomato Traders and Transporters Association, said many towns along the trade corridor are now classified as high-risk “red zones.”
“But first of all, we want our drivers, our traders, … a lot of towns and villages in the northern part of Burkina Faso … are marked red. When I say red, it means there is danger over there,” he said, stressing that the association is giving its members a list of places they should avoid.
His comments come in the aftermath of a terrorist ambush in the northern Burkinabè town of Titao on 14 February 2026, in which at least seven Ghanaian tomato traders were killed while on a routine trading trip to buy produce.
The traders’ vehicle was reportedly targeted and set ablaze after insurgents separated passengers and opened fire on the men, in what security officials say was a jihadist-linked attack. Survivors were evacuated to Ghana by the Ghana Armed Forces for medical care.
Following the tragedy, the association announced a suspension of tomato imports from Burkina Faso, warning that further trips along the traditional route could place more lives at risk.
“This is a sign of warning that is given to them,” Nana Tuffuor said of the list being provided to drivers and traders.
“We are here to listen to the rest of the bilateral discussions that our Foreign Minister and his Burkina counterpart have.”
The government has since engaged in bilateral talks with Burkinabè officials to improve border security and protect Ghanaian traders operating in volatile parts of the Sahel.
The tomato trade between Ghana and Burkina Faso has long been a lifeline for local markets, especially during periods of low domestic production.
But the attack, widely condemned by both Ghanaian and Burkinabè authorities, has sparked concerns about the safety of cross-border commerce and food security.
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