The Savannah, Upper East, and Upper West regions of Ghana have commenced a four-day consultative meeting with their cross-border regional counterparts, Djoro, Nakamba, Nando, and Nazinon in Burkina Faso.
The meeting, which is taking place in Po, Burkina Faso, is being facilitated by the Ghana Boundary Commission and the National Boundary Secretariat of Burkina Faso as part of the implementation of the Framework Agreement on Cross-Border Cooperation and the Memorandum of Understanding on the Establishment of Periodic Consultations between Border Administrative Authorities, signed by the foreign ministers of both countries in February this year.
The meeting aims to review and validate a convention for the establishment of a framework for consultation between the cross-border regions, as part of efforts to promote the integrated and coordinated management of the common land boundary.
Opening the meeting, the Governor of the Nazinon Region in Burkina Faso, Madam Yvette Massadalo Sanou, stressed the need for both countries to strengthen the management of their shared boundary as a common responsibility.
She called on regional administrative and traditional authorities to view borders as bridges of collaboration and cultural development rather than barriers to administrative ties. She added that the proposals from the meeting would improve the lives of residents along the border areas.
Madam Sanou further encouraged participants to preserve “the cordial ties of fraternity and cooperation that exist between the two countries.”
In his submission as leader of the Ghanaian delegation, the Commissioner-General of the Ghana Boundary Commission, Major General Anthony Ntem, described the Ghana–Burkina Faso boundary as a space of coexistence and peaceful cooperation.
He underscored the importance of establishing the necessary frameworks to strengthen this longstanding cooperation between the two countries.
Major General Ntem highlighted the shared potentials and mutual challenges of the cross-border regions and noted that enhanced cooperation in border management is key to unlocking development opportunities and addressing common challenges.
He expressed optimism that the meeting would produce outcomes that contribute significantly to peace, stability, and sustainable development in the shared border areas.
He also urged participants to actively engage in discussions and share experiences to achieve the objectives of the meeting.
“The diverse expertise present in this room should be used to find practical solutions, strengthen existing mechanisms, and develop recommendations that are realistic, responsive, and capable of delivering tangible benefits to our communities,” he said.
The West African Regional Coordinator of the GIZ/African Union Border Programme, Mamoudou Tapily, also called on both countries to strengthen cooperation in boundary management and pool resources to prevent conflict in border areas.
He emphasised the importance of traditional authorities and encouraged their active involvement in border governance.
He commended the Ghana Boundary Commission and the National Boundary Secretariat of Burkina Faso for their commitment to the effective implementation of the SKBoWa Project, a GIZ-supported initiative under which the meeting is being held.
The consultative meeting is expected to run from 18 to 21 June 2026 and will culminate in the signing of a convention establishing a framework for consultation between the participating regions on 22 June 2026.
