The Minority Caucus in Parliament has called for an urgent briefing from the government over allegations that Ghanaian territory was used to facilitate United States military airstrikes targeting ISIS elements in northern Nigeria.
Addressing the media on Wednesday, March 11, the Member of Parliament for Damongo and Ranking Member on the Foreign Affairs Committee, Samuel Abu Jinapor, flanked by colleagues on the committee, described the claims as raising grave questions about Ghana’s foreign policy and national security.
The issue surfaced following remarks reportedly made by Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa during a panel discussion at Chatham House in London.
According to the Minority, Mr Ablakwa stated that the administration of President John Dramani Mahama authorised cooperation with the United States in December 2025, permitting the use of Ghanaian territory in military operations against ISIS targets in northern Nigeria.
Mr Jinapor noted that neither Members of Parliament nor the Minority learned of the alleged arrangement through official channels, but rather through media reports.
“What is the framework within which the Ghanaian government collaborated with the United States of America?” he questioned.
The Minority outlined several key concerns and demanded detailed clarification from the government.
The caucus is seeking information on the legal and operational framework governing the reported collaboration. Mr Jinapor emphasised that officials from the previous administration under former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo have denied the existence of any such arrangement during their tenure.
The group also questioned whether any underlying agreement was laid before Parliament for ratification, as required by Ghana’s Constitution for international agreements of this nature.
“Any agreement of this nature must be brought before Parliament for ratification,” Mr Jinapor stated. “So at what stage and through what legal mechanism did our government collaborate and agree with the government of the United States to unleash military action and airstrikes against a terrorist organisation in a foreign country, Nigeria?”
“If there was any such agreement, why has the government not tabled it before Parliament for ratification or otherwise?” he added.
On national security, the Minority expressed fears that Ghana could become a target for retaliatory attacks by ISIS or other extremist groups in the region.
Mr Jinapor asked: “Does Ghana become a target of ISIS or other terrorist organisations? What measures have been put in place to ensure that our citizens are protected and our national security is safeguarded?”
The caucus has therefore demanded that the Foreign Affairs Minister appear before Parliament to provide a full briefing on the circumstances of the alleged authorisation, the legal basis for the cooperation, and measures to protect national security.
Supporting the call, former Defence Minister Dominic Nitiwul stated that Ghana has no known security arrangement with the United States permitting the use of its territory to launch military attacks against another country.
He recalled that Ghana and the United States signed defence cooperation agreements in 1998, 2002, 2015 and 2018, but none authorised the use of Ghanaian territory as a launch pad for strikes against individuals, nations, groups or organisations.
“In all these agreements, at no point was the United States or any other country allowed to use the territory of Ghana as a launch pad to attack any individual, nation, group of persons or organisation,” Mr Nitiwul said.
He added that even the deployment of armed military aircraft in Ghana requires explicit government permission.
While affirming Ghana’s support for international efforts to combat terrorism, Mr Nitiwul stressed that any collaboration must adhere strictly to domestic laws and constitutional procedures.
“We all want to help fight terrorism, but no government should allow a foreign country to use our territory to attack another country without a formal agreement and the necessary approvals,” he said.
The Minority has urged the government to address these concerns transparently to allay public anxiety and uphold parliamentary oversight on matters of foreign policy and national security.
