U.S. Special Envoy for the Sahel Region Ambassador J. Peter Pham travelled to Accra, Ghana from January 6 – 8, 2021 to lead the U.S. Presidential Delegation to the inauguration of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on January 7. 

The delegation also included U.S. Ambassador to Ghana Stephanie S. Sullivan.

U.S. Special Envoy for the Sahel Region Ambassador Pham’s trip to Accra signals the United States’ strong partnership with the government and people of Ghana to advance shared prosperity in both countries. 

“The United States values Ghana’s democratic, security and economic leadership in the region and throughout Africa,” noted Ambassador Pham.

In addition to inauguration-related events, Ambassador Pham met with President Akufo-Addo at Jubilee House, where he reaffirmed the strong U.S.-Ghana partnership in the areas of regional peace and security, economic development, and accountable governance. 

Ambassador Pham also paid a courtesy call on former President John Kufuor.

During his visit, Ambassador Pham toured the National Border Fusion Center and discussed the U.S.-Ghana Security Governance Initiative (SGI) partnership. 

Supported by U.S. Customs and Border Protection with State Department funding and inaugurated in January 2020, the National Border Fusion Center is an SGI flagship project and serves as an information-sharing hub for border security to facilitate informed rapid decision making.

Following the tour, the U.S. Special Envoy visited Burma Camp where he met with Chief of Defense Staff Lieutenant General Obed Boamah Akwa and other senior members of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) to discuss Ghana’s important role in regional security through peacekeeping contributions and maritime security. 

They also discussed concerns over the spread of violent extremism in the Sahel and agreed to work collectively to combat the growing threat.

Following the meeting with the GAF, the U.S. Special Envoy visited the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) where he met with the centre’s leadership and staff to discuss research and academic programs focused on the drivers of violent extremism in the ECOWAS sub-region.

Ambassador Pham’s visit to Ghana concluded with a dinner featuring Ghanaian civil society leaders hosted by Ambassador Sullivan at her residence. 

Participants discussed civil society’s role in building resilience against extremism and networking among regional counterparts to share Ghana’s best practices.