President John Dramani Mahama has proposed a new security accord for West Africa to strengthen cooperation among countries in the sub-region.
He made the proposal while presenting the 2026 State of Peace and Security in Africa report at the 12th Tana High-Level Forum on Security in Africa at Bahir Dar in Ethiopia on Saturday, October 24, 2026.
According to the President, political divisions among regional blocs have weakened collective efforts to tackle insecurity, while African governments continue to struggle to translate existing agreements into practical results.
The report covers the period from January 2025 to June 2026 and examines political and economic conditions contributing to conflicts across the continent.
President Mahama said the Accra Initiative, established to strengthen regional cooperation against terrorism and violent extremism, has stalled.
“Ghana is working to establish a new regional cooperation arrangement in West Africa considering the fact that the Accra Initiative seems to have run aground,” he said.
He identified the proposed Sahel-Gulf of Guinea Accord as a coalition of willing countries to promote peace and security, adding that Ghana is working with neighbouring countries to promote bilateral, minilateral and multilateral security cooperation.
President Mahama said divisions between the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) have weakened regional efforts, but noted that Ghana has maintained engagement with AES countries.
He also called on the African Union and regional economic communities to assess governments’ compliance with peace and security agreements and openly identify failures.
“Africa has developed several policies and agreements but has struggled to implement them effectively,” he stated.
