ISLAMIST militants operating in Burkina Faso are discreetly using northern Ghana as a logistical and medical base to sustain their insurgency, according to sources. Seven individuals, including Ghanaian security officials and regional diplomats, have revealed that militants are crossing the border into Ghana to gather supplies such as food, fuel, and even explosives. Injured fighters are also receiving medical treatment in Ghanaian hospitals.
These activities, while not triggering direct attacks on Ghanaian soil, raise concerns that the militants are establishing a foothold in the country. Some fear that this could lead to future recruitment from marginalised local communities, potentially expanding the militants’ reach in West Africa. Ghana, which shares a 600-kilometre border with Burkina Faso, has so far been spared the kind of attacks that have plagued its neighbours, including Benin and Togo.
Ghana’s ‘safe haven’
Burkina Faso has been deeply affected by an insurgency led by groups linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State, with the country losing control of more than half its territory. A leader of Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM), a major al-Qaeda-affiliated group, recently told French media that they aim to push into Ghana, Togo, and Benin.
Despite this threat, Ghana has not yet suffered a major attack. Boniface Gambila Adagbila, Ghana’s ambassador to Burkina Faso, acknowledged the militants’ use of Ghana as a ‘safe haven’ due to porous borders but denied any suggestion of a formal non-aggression pact between the Ghanaian authorities and the insurgents. ‘Ghana is working with Burkina Faso to flush them out,’ he told Reuters.
Avoiding supply disruptions
Ghana is regarded as a strong democracy, maintaining close ties with Western nations such as the UK and the US. The country has been praised for its role in promoting regional peace and security. Analysts believe that the absence of attacks in Ghana could be due to a strategic decision by militants not to disturb supply lines or safe zones. ‘You don’t destroy where you sleep,’ a senior Ghanaian security official told Reuters, explaining why militants had refrained from targeting the country.
However, the Netherlands Institute of International Relations (Clingendael) has raised concerns that Ghana may be operating under an unspoken agreement to avoid escalation. The institute’s report suggests that Ghana’s authorities are balancing efforts to tackle extremism with the need to avoid provoking violence. Joint operations with neighbouring countries have been conducted, but militants using Ghana for rest and resupply remain monitored and, in some cases, even provide intelligence to local security forces.
Increasing regional risk
The situation in Burkina Faso and across the Sahel has been deteriorating rapidly, with militants increasingly expanding their operations into coastal West African nations. Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali have all experienced coups triggered by public anger over military losses to insurgents, and these new juntas have expelled Western military forces, turning instead to Russia for assistance.
Meanwhile, Western nations have shifted their focus towards securing northern regions of Ghana, Benin, Togo, and Cote d’Ivoire, which are vulnerable to the Sahel insurgency. Ghana is seen as a key player in efforts to bolster security along the Gulf of Guinea, but the increasing use of its territory by militants could undermine these efforts.
Active recruitment and radicalisation
Experts warn that the militants are not simply passing through Ghana but are also recruiting members from local communities. According to Aaron Atimpe, an expert on extremist groups, some areas of northern Ghana are becoming recruitment grounds for radical groups. ‘It is not just a place to rest and gather supplies. In the process, people are being radicalised,’ Atimpe told Reuters.
The presence of violent extremists has been confirmed in Ghana, with Clingendael identifying 40 incidents since 2015 suspected of being linked to these groups. While only two of these involved direct violence, the rest suggest that militants are using Ghanaian territory for movement, resupply, and recruitment.
Concerns over future stability
Although Ghana has so far avoided the widespread violence seen in Burkina Faso and its neighbours, the situation remains precarious. According to a senior Ghanaian official, the government prefers to handle the matter discreetly, adding that many militants have been arrested and handed over to Burkina Faso in the past.
Nevertheless, the risk of escalation remains. If Ghana’s northern regions continue to serve as a logistical base for insurgents, the country could find itself drawn deeper into the conflict that has already destabilised large parts of the Sahel.
