Israel is prepared to deepen technical and institutional cooperation with Ghana as Accra works to strengthen security along its northern border, Israeli Ambassador to Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone, Roey Gilad, has said.
Ambassador Gilad said Israel had already offered Ghana assistance based on its experience, technical capabilities and expertise in dealing with security threats, with some of the proposals still under discussion.
“We have offered some help in the past, leaning on our experience fighting the terror (in Israel), leaning on our know-how, leaning on our technical abilities, which are well known all over the world,” he said at a press briefing in Accra.
He said Israel wants to advance the discussions with Ghana’s new Defence Minister, Kenneth Gilbert Adjei, particularly as the country seeks to strengthen its ability to manage risks along its northern frontier.
“Some of the issues are still on the table. We hope to advance them with the new Minister of Defense,” Ambassador Gilad said.
The northern border has become an important policy concern for Ghana as instability in the Sahel raises the need for stronger border management and protection of communities and economic activity in the country’s northern regions.
Ambassador Gilad said Israel and Ghana face a similar structural challenge as relatively stable countries operating in regions where neighbouring states face greater instability.
“Israel and Ghana actually are living through a very similar geopolitical situation. Both Israel and Ghana are stable democratic states that live in an area which is much less stable,” he said.
While the ambassador framed the proposed cooperation largely around security, stronger border capabilities also have direct economic implications for Ghana.
The country’s northern corridors connect Ghana to Burkina Faso and the wider Sahel, supporting the movement of goods, people and services across the region. Any deterioration in security along those routes can increase costs for businesses, disrupt trade and raise the risks associated with investment and logistics.
Improving border surveillance, technical capacity and institutional readiness could therefore serve both a security and economic objective for Ghana by helping protect commercial activity and maintain the country’s position as a relatively stable gateway to the Sahel.
Ambassador Gilad said Israel sees scope for practical cooperation with Ghana in addressing these challenges, particularly those emerging from the country’s northern frontier.
“There is much we can do with Ghana, helping Ghana address its geopolitical challenges, mainly those that are coming from the northern border with Burkina Faso,” he said.
The proposed cooperation comes as Ghana continues to strengthen its national security architecture while seeking to preserve economic activity and cross-border trade with its northern neighbours.
Policymakers and businesses are placing greater emphasis not only on responding to security threats when they emerge, but also on building the surveillance, intelligence, technical and institutional capacity needed to protect critical economic corridors.
The Israeli offer could therefore provide another avenue for Ghana to draw on international technical expertise as it develops a broader strategy for securing its northern frontier and protecting economic activity in the region.
