Sign in Subscribe
Foreign ministers

Ghana's Foreign Policy Under Fire: Criticism Over Morocco-Western Sahara Conflict Handling

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Ghana's Foreign Affairs Ministry has come under fire from the Deputy Ranking Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Parliament, Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh, over the government's handling of the Morocco-Western Sahara conflict. The criticism stems from the recent endorsement of Morocco's autonomy plan for Western Sahara, which appears to contradict Ghana's previous stance in support of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR). Asafo-Adjei has accused the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, of inconsistent diplomacy and urged the government to clarify its position on the issue.

Key Takeaways:

  • Ghana's Foreign Affairs Ministry has faced criticism from MP Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh over its handling of the Morocco-Western Sahara conflict.
  • The government's recent endorsement of Morocco's autonomy plan for Western Sahara appears to contradict its previous stance in support of the SADR.
  • Former President Nana Akufo-Addo had imposed sanctions preventing the SADR from establishing a presence in Ghana, a decision that current Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa had previously described as 'unfortunate' but later claimed would be supported by the current administration.
  • Ablakwa visited Algeria in April 2025 and reportedly assured the Algerian government that the Mahama administration would support Western Sahara's sovereignty, marking a shift in Ghana's stance on the issue.
  • The joint communique from Ablakwa's meeting with his Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita, in Rabat on June 5, 2025, stated that Ghana considers Morocco's autonomy plan 'the only realistic and sustainable basis' for resolving the conflict.
  • Asafo-Adjei has urged the government to clarify its position on the issue and criticized the policy reversal risk of undermining Ghana's credibility on the international stage.
  • The Western Sahara conflict is a decades-long dispute between Morocco and the Algeria-backed Polisario Front, with Morocco claiming the territory and the Polisario Front seeking independence.

Statistics:

  • June 10, 2025: Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh criticizes Ghana's Foreign Affairs Ministry over its handling of the Morocco-Western Sahara conflict.
  • April 2025: Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa visits Algeria and reportedly assures the government of support for Western Sahara's sovereignty.
  • June 5, 2025: A joint communique from Ablakwa's meeting with his Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita, in Rabat, states that Ghana considers Morocco's autonomy plan 'the only realistic and sustainable basis' for resolving the conflict.
  • 2025: Ghana's government imposes sanctions preventing the SADR from establishing a presence in Ghana, a decision previously described as 'unfortunate' by Ablakwa.
  • Decades-long dispute: The Western Sahara conflict between Morocco and the Algeria-backed Polisario Front.

Sources:

  • Ghana Web, "Deputy Ranking Member criticizes government's handling of Morocco-Western Sahara conflict" (10 June 2025)
  • (Exact sources to be verified)

Read more