An Accra-based security consultant, Emmanuel Kwesi Aning has described the appointment of Larry Gbevlo Lartey to liaise with the three-nation Alliance of Sahel States (AES) as an indication that Ghana is willing to improve its relationship with the military-led countries in the region.
President John Dramani Mahama announcing his second set of appointments to the seat of the presidency announced retired military officer Larry Gbevlo Lartey as an Envoy to the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).
Speaking to Reuters in an interview in Accra on the decision to tap the ex-military officer for such a position, Emmanuel Kwesi Aning indicated that “His appointment is the first in ECOWAS and it’s an attempt to rebuild trust… and start the process of re-engagement and the return of the AES to the ECOWAS family”.
Adding that “the retired lieutenant colonel has credentials and speaks a language the AES leadership understands”.
Ghana and Burkina Faso’s diplomatic ties suffered under the leadership of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo after the former Ghanaian President is said to have alleged that Burkina Faso had hired Russian Wagner mercenaries, indicating that their presence on Ghana’s northern border was distressing.
However, John Dramani Mahama, who won the 2024 elections, during his campaign promised to mend broken ties with Ghana’s neighbors, starting with an invitation to his inauguration and now the appointment of an envoy to handle the country’s relations with the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).
Mynewsgh
