Malian President Assimi Goïta received a Ghanaian delegation on January 2, 2025, tasked with delivering an invitation to the inauguration of Ghana’s newly elected President John Dramani Mahama.
The meeting, marked by discussions on regional cooperation and security challenges, took place amid tensions between the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) and the regional bloc ECOWAS.
General Assimi Goïta welcomed the Ghanaian delegation, led by Alfred Mahama, representative of President-elect John Dramani Mahama. The primary goal of the visit was to extend an official invitation to the transitional president to attend Mahama’s inauguration, scheduled for January 7, 2025, in Accra.
During the meeting, attended by Mali’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Abdoulaye Diop, discussions focused on strengthening cooperation between Mali and Ghana. Alfred Mahama stated, “We aim to enhance and deepen our cooperative relations, and extend this cooperation to all other countries within the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).”
The delegation also highlighted Ghana’s commitment to collaborating with Mali and other AES members to address regional security challenges. Mahama emphasised, “We want to work together to find appropriate solutions to issues, particularly insecurity, affecting Mali and the other AES countries.”
The invitation comes as AES member states plan to withdraw from ECOWAS by the end of January 2025. Although this issue was not explicitly discussed, Ghana’s initiative could be seen as an attempt to ease tensions and foster cooperation between ECOWAS and AES.
John Dramani Mahama, who won 56.5% of the vote in the December 7, 2024, presidential election, is set to usher in a new phase for Ghana.
By inviting Goïta to his inauguration, Mahama signals his intent to strengthen ties with Mali and collaborate on regional issues, particularly security and development.
MD/ac/sf/lb/as/APA