Ghana is seeking to expand the use of its seaports for Mali’s international trade and strengthen cooperation on regional security, as the two West African neighbours look to deepen bilateral relations.
The priorities were discussed on Monday when Ghana’s new ambassador to Mali, Lieutenant-Colonel Sanda Ahmed, met Malian Prime Minister Abdoulaye Maïga in Bamako.
Ahmed highlighted the potential of the ports of Tema and Takoradi to improve the movement of goods to and from landlocked Mali. Tema already hosts a Malian Customs office overseeing transit shipments and a terminal serving trade with Sahelian countries, including Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. Takoradi offers an additional maritime gateway for businesses operating across the region.
Beyond trade and transport, Ghana also wants to strengthen security cooperation with Mali, particularly efforts to counter insecurity and violent extremism across West Africa’s Sahel region. The meeting included the introduction of Ghana’s newly appointed defence attaché to Mali.
Maïga welcomed closer cooperation, pointing to the longstanding relationship between the two countries, which developed in part under Ghana’s Kwame Nkrumah and Mali’s Modibo Keïta.
