Ghana government has evacuated the first batch of Ghanaian nationals from Iran to Turkey, in response to the escalating tensions in the Middle East.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced plans to consider residents in Israel as soon as possible, following the conflict between the two Middle East nations.
Sector Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, in a post on Facebook Friday, June 20, 2025, indicated that there were separate engagements earlier in the week with Ambassadors of Iran and Israel, to concerning the safety and evacuation of Ghanaians currently residing in those countries.
He says the ongoing evacuation was resolved at the said meeting.
“So far, the first batch of Ghanaians in Iran has been evacuated to Turkey successfully. Our fellow nationals living in Israel will be evacuated shortly,” portions of his post said.
Ablakwa noted that his meeting with the Israeli Ambassador, H.E. Roey Gilad on Tuesday, June 17 and Iranian Ambassador H.E. Ali Ghomshi on Wednesday June 18, formed part of President Mahama’s administration’s emergency evacuation strategy.
The engagements aimed at providing border access approvals to ensure safe passage of Ghanaian nationals as the conflict exacerbate in the region.
The meeting, aside from the seeking evacuation access, also broadened Ghana’s understanding of the ongoing fracas to reinforce its diplomatic stance.
The Minister disclosed that he used the platform to express Ghana’s strong displeasure at recent public comments by the Israeli Ambassador, who questioned Ghana’s voting record at various international organisations.
“I urged him to respect our sovereign right to make independent decisions based on our longstanding globally acclaimed foreign policy principles,” he said.
He stressed that the principle is grounded in the 1992 Constitution and guided by Ghana’s pacifist approach to peace-building, commitment to non-alignment, respect for the UN Charter, adherence to a rules-based international order, belief in multilateralism, and compliance with international law.
The lawmaker for North Tongu also called for restraint, and urged the two factions to ceasefire and pursue a peaceful diplomatic resolution to their concerns.
