By Godwill Arthur-Mensah
Accra, June 8, GNA – Ghana, earlier this year, ratified the African Union (AU) Convention on Cross-Border Co-operation, popularly known as the “Niamey Convention” to promote cross-border co-operation amongst Member States of the AU at the local, sub-regional and regional levels.
The Convention, adopted by the AU on June 27, 2014, also aimed at facilitating peaceful resolution of boundary disputes amongst African countries and to transform cross-border communities into catalysts for growth and political integration of the continent.
So far, only nine out of the 55 AU Member States have ratified it and five have deposited the instruments of ratification at the AU Commission in accordance with Article 17 of the Convention.
The other eight countries that have ratified it were Benin, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Togo, Nigeria, and Cote d’Ivoire.
Major General Emmanuel W. Kotia, the National Coordinator, Ghana Boundary Commission, announced this at the Minister’s press briefing hosted by the Ministry of Information in Accra on Tuesday.
The media encounter was also used to commemorate the African Border Day celebrated by the AU on June 7 annually, to reflect on the implementation of various initiatives amongst Member States to promote cross-border co-operation and political integration.
The event also marked the official outdooring of the Ghana Boundary Commission (GhBC) as a state institution mandated to manage Ghana’s boundary issues.
Maj. Gen. Kotia said Ghana would deposit her instrument of ratification of the Niamey Convention with the AU Commission by mid-July, this year.
The ratification of the Convention would contribute to the development of marginalised border communities in terms of infrastructure such as roads, electricity, clinics, provision of potable water and allow for economic growth through the creation of employment opportunities and facility trade, he stated.
Highlighting the mandate of the Commission, Maj.Gen. Kotia said, as spelt out by the Act of Parliament, it was to reaffirm, demarcate and delimit Ghana’s international land and maritime boundaries to ensure that the territorial sovereignty of the Republic was always respected.
Hence, the Commission had been collaborating with various actors within and outside Ghana to safeguarding the territory of the State.
On activities undertaken by the Commission so far, Maj.Gen. Kotia mentioned the setting of Joint Technical Committee to resolve land boundary dispute between Ghana and Togo, formation of joint Ghana-Togo Community Sensitization for land reaffirmation exercise at Aflao and Akanu and reaffirmation of land boundary pillars along Ghana-Togo border.
The Commission had also held meetings with the National Boundary Commissions of neighbouring countries including Togo, Cote d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, and Nigeria and conducted mapping exercise and multi-agency assessments of countries that share border with Ghana.
GNA