Minority demands briefing over Burkina Faso killings, cites security lapses

The Minority caucus in Ghana’s Parliament has criticised the Ministers responsible for Interior, Foreign Affairs, and Defence for failing to brief the House on the killing of eight Ghanaians in Burkina Faso, one week after the incident.

According to the Minority, the absence of the ministers reflects a serious lapse in security oversight and response, describing the situation as a failure of the state to adequately protect its citizens, especially those travelling to high-risk areas.

Speaking to journalists in Parliament following a joint Minority committee meeting, Ranking Member on the Defence and Interior Committee and MP for Assin South, John Ntim Fordjour, said lawmakers had waited more than a week without receiving an official update.

“We have waited in Parliament for over a week. None of the Ministers for Foreign Affairs, Defence or the Interior has had the courtesy to appear before the House to update us,” he stated.

He disclosed that Minority members serving on the Foreign Affairs, Defence, Interior, and Security and Intelligence Committees formally wrote to summon the ministers to explain the circumstances surrounding the attack and outline preventive measures.

Mr. Fordjour said the caucus had proposed practical security and diplomatic measures to strengthen protection for Ghanaians both at home and abroad. He stressed the need for effective policies and collaboration with regional and international partners to prevent future tragedies.

Meanwhile, Ranking Member on the Foreign Affairs Committee, Samuel Abu Jinapor, described the killings as a terrorist attack requiring urgent national attention. He called for a bipartisan parliamentary inquiry, renegotiation of the Accra Initiative, and the immediate completion of Forward Operating Bases to strengthen border surveillance and national security.

The Minority emphasised that safeguarding Ghanaian lives must remain a top national priority, particularly as insecurity rises across the West African sub-region.