Ghana and Burkina Faso have signed seven bilateral agreements to deepen cooperation on security, transport, disaster management and cross-border governance. The deals were concluded at the end of meetings of the Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation (PJCC), a bilateral forum that both countries revived after six years of inactivity. PJCC refers to a standing mechanism that coordinates joint policies and resolves cross-border issues through regular government-to-government sessions.
Ghana Burkina Faso agreements target security and mobility
The package includes mutual recognition of national driver’s licences and a separate agreement on transport and road transit. Officials said these measures aim to ease movement and trade along a shared corridor that is vital for people and goods moving between coastal West Africa and the Sahel.
The agreements also cover governance at the frontier. Ghana and Burkina Faso signed a framework agreement on cross-border cooperation, plus an understanding to set up periodic consultation frameworks between border administrative authorities. In addition, both sides agreed to create a joint commission to reaffirm the boundary between the two countries.
What was signed at the end of the PJCC session
At the close of the talks, both countries signed seven instruments:
- Mutual Recognition of National Driver’s Licenses
- Transport and Road Transit
- Framework Agreement on Cross border cooperation
- Periodic consultation frameworks between border administrative authorities
- Joint commission to reaffirm the border
- Prevention and management of disasters and humanitarian crises
- Cooperation against illicit cultivation, production, manufacture and trafficking of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances
“Psychotropic substances” refers to drugs that act on the brain and can alter mood, perception or behaviour, and many are controlled by law.
Talks in Ouagadougou and a shared stance on terrorism
The signing followed high-level engagements involving Ghanaian officials and Burkina Faso’s leadership, including meetings with Prime Minister Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo and Foreign Affairs Minister Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré. Both sides described the discussions as frank and forward-looking, and they reaffirmed longstanding bilateral relations.
During the engagements, the two governments condemned recent terrorist attacks in the sub-region and expressed sympathy to affected families. They also agreed to design and adopt a new security framework to combat terrorism and violent extremism, with a focus on threats around their shared border.
Disaster response moves up the agenda with the Bagré Dam
Beyond security, Ghana and Burkina Faso agreed to strengthen cooperation on disaster prevention and humanitarian crises. The talks highlighted recurrent flooding linked to the Bagré Dam, a major hydropower and water reservoir in Burkina Faso whose periodic spillages can drive floodwaters downstream into northern Ghana. Officials said the new partnership will improve coordination and preparedness when spillages occur.
A reset built on earlier presidential contacts
Officials linked the PJCC’s reactivation to earlier contacts between Ghana’s President John Mahama and Burkina Faso’s leader Ibrahim Traoré, which set the tone for renewed cooperation. Ghana’s delegation also thanked Burkina Faso for hosting the two-day visit, while both governments signalled that the new agreements should translate into tighter coordination on security, smoother transit and stronger joint border administration.
