The EU and Ghana sign a security and defence partnership
On Tuesday, the European Union (EU) and Ghana signed a security and defence partnership in Accra. Ghanaian Vice President Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas formalised the EU’s first security and defence partnership with an African state during a formal ceremony at the Ghanaian Presidential Palace. From a European perspective, the partnership forms part of a broader EU security strategy, under which eleven similar partnerships have been concluded since May 2024, including the agreements signed last week with Iceland and Australia.
The agreement explicitly builds on Ghana’s 2020 National Security Strategy and the EU’s 2022 Strategic Compass for Security, and focuses on key areas of peace, security and defence such as regional instability and terrorism, hybrid and cyber threats, maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea, climate-related security risks, border control and transnational organised crime. Peacebuilding, conflict prevention and crisis management, as well as measures in the areas of disinformation and the protection of cultural heritage and cultural artefacts, are also included in the agreement. An annual high-level dialogue is to be held in the future to steer the implementation of the agreement. In addition to closer cooperation and capacity building for Ghanaian security institutions, the agreement provides for several measures. For instance, Ghana’s participation in missions and operations under the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy is to be assessed. Furthermore, closer cooperation between academia and think tanks in the field of hybrid threats, as well as Ghana’s participation in the European Security and Defence College, is envisioned.
The EU has been supporting Ghana since 2023 under the European Peace Facility (EPF) and regards the country as a key security partner in West Africa. Conversely, the EU is designated in the agreement as Ghana’s primary security partner. In addition to Tuesday’s signing, the EU handed over military equipment, including electronic combat systems and explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) vehicles, surveillance drones, anti-drone technology, motorcycles and other security equipment. According to the EU, this serves to strengthen territorial integrity, national resilience and regional stability in Ghana and West Africa and forms part of the €50 million package for Ghana approved under the EPF.
The agreement was concluded against a backdrop of growing security threats in West Africa and a shared interest in stability. Due to its location on the Gulf of Guinea, Ghana is regarded as a key player in regional integration; however, it faces growing pressure, particularly in the north, from jihadist violence in the Sahel and the risk of conflicts spilling over. According to reports, militants in neighbouring Burkina Faso are using northern Ghana as a place of retreat and regrouping during clashes with the Burkinabe army, and are establishing smuggling routes for weapons, food and petrol. Ghana’s Vice-President Opoku-Agyemang referred to the tense security situation in the sub-region and the death of Ghanaian traders in a terrorist attack in Burkina Faso at the start of the year, emphasising the need for enhanced cooperation with the EU.
The agreement marks a deepening of security cooperation between the EU and Ghana and explicitly reaffirms the shared interest to have a more representative and transparent UN Security Council. At the same time, political differences between Ghana and the EU became apparent at the United Nations General Assembly. On Wednesday, Ghana’s President John Mahama advocated for reparative justice as part of a resolution tabled by his country to classify the transatlantic slave trade as the “gravest crime against humanity.” The resolution was adopted with 123 votes in favour, including those of all African states present, as well as China, Russia and large parts of Asia and Latin America. While Argentina, Israel and the US voted against it, all EU member states abstained.
Cabinet reshuffle in Madagascar
On Wednesday, Madagascar’s transitional president, Colonel Michael Randrianirina, presented the new cabinet alongside Prime Minister Mamitiana Rajaonarison. The cabinet comprises 30 posts, including 17 reappointed ministers and 13 newly appointed cabinet members. Among the most significant changes are the appointment of career diplomat Alice N’Diaye as foreign minister and Lucas Rabearimanga, former head of Madagascar’s Hydrocarbons Office, as energy minister. Minister of Economy and Finance Herinjatovo Ramiarison was confirmed in office, as was Minister of Justice Fanirisoa Ernaivo, who had faced criticism, particularly from young Madagascans, for allegedly supporting a businessman who was accused of corruption.
The cabinet reshuffle follows the dismissal on March 9 of former Prime Minister Herintsalama Rajaonarivelo and his entire cabinet, which had been in office since late October 2025 following Interim President Randrianirina’s assumption of power (Press Review CW 42/2025). Randrianirina had previously given the cabinet a deadline of about two months to prove its effectiveness. Meanwhile, public dissatisfaction with the government grew. Nevertheless, the cabinet’s dismissal came as a surprise to many, although the decision is said to have been preceded by a 72-hour ultimatum issued to Randrianirina by the youth activist groups Gen Z and Gen Y, demanding that he step down himself. Following the prime minister’s dismissal, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the African Union (AU) emphasized the importance of upholding constitutional standards, establishing a clear roadmap for the transition back to democracy, and the unconditional release of political prisoners. A few days later, Randrianirina appointed the former head of Madagascar’s anti-money laundering agency, the Service de renseignement financier de Madagascar (SAMIFIN), Mamitiana Rajaonarison, as the new Prime Minister. However, the appointment of the new cabinet was delayed until Wednesday, after Randrianirina announced that an extensive vetting process would be carried out for prospective cabinet members, including, among other measures, a polygraph test aimed at preventing corruption.
Randrianirina has now announced that the cabinet will continue to undergo regular performance reviews, and that any uncovered cases of corruption will result in immediate dismissal. According to him, the new government will be guided by strictness, integrity, and efficiency. It is expected to deliver concrete results in areas such as health, energy supply, food security, and public safety. In addition, the recommendations of the Madagascan Court of Auditors are to be implemented; last week, the court published highly critical audit reports on the affairs of the ousted government led by former President Andry Rajoelina.
While the population is cautiously optimistic about the new cabinet, parts of the youth movement criticized the fact that, once again, no representatives from their ranks were included in the cabinet. Gen Z protests against poverty, electricity, and water shortages preceded Rajoelina’s ouster, and the transitional government was initially able to count on the support of young Malagasy people. Gen Z’s future relationship with the government will also depend on the extent to which it is meaningfully involved in the national consultation process being organized by the Minister for a New Beginning.
Madagascar also faces a number of challenges, including the aftermath of Cyclones Fytia and Gezani, which caused fatalities, displacement, and significant damage to infrastructure in late January. Against this backdrop, Randrianirina has recently been very active on the international stage, including visits to Russia and France to strengthen diplomatic ties and secure international support for his reform plans (Press Review CW 9/2026). A deadline set by the SADC for the Malagasy leadership to submit a roadmap for a democratic transition was initially missed at the end of February. However, a draft is now available that calls for a constitutional referendum in mid-2027 and presidential elections in September 2027.
In other news
The World Happiness Report 2026, which examines life satisfaction in 147 countries, was published last Friday, on World Happiness Day. As in the previous year, Mauritius is the top-ranked African country and has also climbed five places to 73rd in the global ranking. The island nation is followed by Libya, Algeria, Mozambique, Gabon and Côte d’Ivoire. South Africa dropped out of the top 5 to 8th place. With Cameroon (7th in Africa, 100th globally), Niger (9th/103) and Tunisia (10th/105), three new countries have entered the top 10, whilst the Republic of the Congo, Guinea and Namibia have dropped out. The report emphasises that social cohesion and social support are particularly crucial, alongside factors such as economic stability, healthcare and high life expectancy, from which Mauritius benefits. Sierra Leone (146) remains at the bottom of the list and continues to face structural challenges. One of the key focuses of this year’s report was on young people’s life satisfaction and their high use of social media. In contrast to North Africa, North America and Western Europe, Gen Z in Sub-Saharan Africa shows a positive trend in life satisfaction, with Niger recording the highest increase. While in North America and Western Europe intensive use of social media reportedly correlates with lower life satisfaction, the picture in North Africa is reported to be mixed, where social media use also appears to have positive effects on young people’s life satisfaction.