The Ghana Boundary Commission and its counterpart in Burkina Faso are set to devise a permanent solution to rectify the distorted international boundaries between the two countries in the Upper East Region. A pivotal stakeholders’ meeting is scheduled to convene in Bolgatanga from May 13-19 this year, aiming to tackle the issue of encroachment and boundary pillar destruction along the shared border.
Major General Dr. Emmanuel Kotia, CEO of the Ghana Boundary Commission, disclosed this during a joint consultative meeting held at Paga in the Kassena Nankana West District. He emphasized the necessity for effective collaboration between the two nations to safeguard their mutual interests and resolve the ongoing challenges concerning boundary encroachments.
“The meeting was to map out a plan needed to deal with the ongoing encroachment and destruction of international boundary pillars between both countries for their mutual benefit,” he said.
Accompanying Dr. Kotia were dignitaries including Laud Ofori Affrifah, Deputy Comptroller of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), Stephen Yakubu, Upper East Regional Minister, and Boniface Gambila, Ghana’s Ambassador to Burkina Faso. The meeting was attended by a delegation led by Salimata Dabal, the permanent secretary of Burkina Faso’s National Boundary Borders.
Dr. Kotia urged the involvement of district assemblies in both countries to halt encroachments immediately, stressing the importance of preserving buffer zones along the international boundaries. He hinted at concrete decisions to be made to safeguard these zones effectively.
“On the Ghana side, any building that is coming up and engulfing the boundary pillars should be discontinued immediately”.
“Going forward, we will be taking a concrete decision on what to do to permanently preserve the buffer zones that demarcate the international boundaries between both countries,” he added.
Plans for a reaffirmation exercise, including the construction of intermediary pillars within existing boundary markers, were discussed. This initiative aims to guide residents residing along the border areas and reinforce the delineation of boundary lines.
Ms. Dabal echoed similar sentiments, highlighting the encroachments by residents unaware of the implications and stressing the necessity to reaffirm boundary lines for mutual respect and understanding.
“There is encroachment at the border by residents of both countries who don’t know the implications. There is the need to reaffirm the boundary lines for the residents to respect moving forward,” she said.
Expressing concerns, Mr. Affrifah noted discrepancies in the proximity of border posts between Ghana and Burkina Faso. He announced plans to construct a temporary post within the next four weeks to align with Burkina Faso’s border post, facilitating further collaboration between the two countries.
The regional minister emphasized that the boundary challenges were not confined to Paga but extended to other areas such as Pusiga, Polimakom, Kulungugu, and Bawku West. The forthcoming meeting in Bolgatanga signifies a crucial step towards resolving longstanding boundary disputes and fostering mutual cooperation between Ghana and Burkina Faso.
