Condemn all coups including Burkina Faso, not only Benin — Abu Jinapor to gov’t

The Ranking Member of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has criticised the John Mahama-led government over what he describes as double standards in foreign policy.

The Damongo MP questioned the administration’s approach to military interventions and relations with coup leaders in the West African region.

Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Wednesday, December 17, he stressed that the government must be principled and consistent in its dealings with countries experiencing political upheavals.

Abu Jinapor pointed to the cordial relationship with Burkina Faso’s military leader while publicly condemning the attempted coup in Benin, where Ghana, under the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), has sent troops to help restore democracy.

“The government is taking a decision to send troops within the framework of ECOWAS to help or assist in the restoration and consolidation of democracy in the Republic of Benin. I support that move. But if a coup is bad in Benin, a coup must be bad in Burkina Faso, it might be bad in Mali, it must be bad in Guinea-Bissau,” he said.

The lawmaker stressed that the country's foreign policy should not be selective or based on convenience.

“We cannot flip-flop when it comes to foreign policy. We cannot apply double standards. The principle must stand: a coup anywhere in West Africa is bad, and the Ghanaian government must insist on that,” Abu Jinapor emphasised.

The MP called on the government to align its diplomatic relations and interventions with consistent democratic principles across the region.