Special Envoys present at the meeting
Ghana and the European Union (EU) have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation with countries in the Sahel to address terrorism, security threats and the humanitarian challenges affecting the sub-region.
The commitment was made at a meeting of EU Special Representatives for the Sahel in Accra on October 20, 2026.
Ghana’s Special Envoy to the Alliance of Sahelian States (AES), Larry Gbevlo-Lartey, said the countries of the bloc had indicated their intention to continue cooperating with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) collectively, despite their withdrawal from the regional organisation.
“When we visited, the AES made it clear to us that they had left ECOWAS but that they would continue to cooperate with ECOWAS as AES and not as individual countries,” he said.
The EU Special Representative for the Sahel, Birgit Margussen, said they were adopting a renewed approach to their engagement with Sahel countries, placing dialogue and the identification of shared interests at the centre of its strategy.
She said the EU remained willing to engage with countries in the region where common interests could be identified, stressing that differences between partners did not mean abandoning their respective values and principles.
Ms. Margussen said the EU was working with the United Nations (UN), the African Union (AU), ECOWAS and other partners to find practical solutions to the security challenges facing the region.
The Irish Government’s Minister for International Development, Neale Richmond, said the meeting was taking place at a critical time for the Sahel and West Africa, and stressed that Europe could not afford to disengage from the region.
He said instability in the Sahel had serious humanitarian consequences for neighbouring West African countries, creating a shared responsibility among regional and international partners to respond.
“This is an opportunity for the European Union but also our partner member states to show that we stand Full Square behind our own Special Representative, Birgit Margussen, who’s recently appointed to the role, but also to our partners and friends across the region,” he said.
The United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel, Leonardo Simão, described the meeting as a step towards normalising relations between Europe and countries in the Sahel.
He said the UN would encourage all parties to identify practical ways of working together for mutual benefit, adding that continued dialogue could help overcome existing obstacles and establish common ground.
By Vera Owusu Sarpong & Florence Adom Asamoah