Captain Ibrahim Traore, Burkina Faso’s military leader had sparked worries when he attended Tuesday’s inauguration of Ghana’s President John Mahama carrying a holstered pistol at his waist.
While some Ghanaians saw the unusual move as a breach of security protocol, others say that it was a clear lack of trust in the ability of Ghanaian officials to protect the Burkina Faso junta chief.
At the time of filing this report, it is not verified if Traore had permission to carry the weapon and the new Ghanaian government has not responded to a BBC request for comment.
Mahama was sworn in after beating the candidate from the then governing party, Mahamudi Bawumia, by a large margin in last month’s election.
Traore, had been one of 17 heads of state present, and his visit is coming at a time of diplomatic tension in West Africa.
Recall that Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, broken away from the regional bloc ECOWAS to form a new alliance in 2023.
A security analyst, Vladmir Antwi Danso had opined that it is an unusual move for a head of state to carry a sidearm to an inauguration ceremony as the security of the visiting leader is the responsibility of the host.
Danso further indicated that Ghanaian and Burkinabe security personnel should have discussed the issue to make sure the right protocols were being followed. “Either that wasn’t done or it was poorly done,” Dr Danso had said to the BBC.
Consequently, another security analyst, Retd Col. Festus Aboagye, agreed that the host nation is typically charged with protecting visiting presidents, adding that bilateral arrangements can lead to variations.
He also suggested that a consensus may have been reached to permit Traore to wear his military attire and carry his sidearm, along with some of his personal security detail.
Relations between Ghana and Burkina Faso have been tense , especially after Ghana’s former President Nana Akufo-Addo accused Traore of harbouring Russian mercenaries.
But with Traore’s attendance at the inauguration, it can be viewed as a significant diplomatic gesture aimed at easing relations between the two countries.
Note that Ghana’s support is important in helping Burkina Faso address its deadly militant jihadist insurgency, which posed a threat to coastal West African states.
