Mahama to the Sahel's Partners: "Anybody Committed to Fighting Terrorism Is Welcome"

Ghana's President John Dramani Mahama said on Wednesday that he is not concerned about Russian security assistance in the Sahel, and that anyone committed to fighting terrorism is welcome in the region. He spoke at the Financial Times Africa Summit in London on 21 October 2026, when asked about Russian involvement in security in the Sahel.

The remark was brief, but it carries weight. Russia's footprint in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger has been among the most contested questions in West African security. Mahama did not defend Moscow or endorse any single partner. His position was one of principle: help is welcome from whoever is serious about defeating extremism. Analysts note that Russia's role in the Sahel divides opinion.

The statement fits Mahama's established approach. Since taking office he has toured the three AES states and presented terrorism as a shared threat. He has described terrorism as a "cancer" that will spread if not tackled collectively, and said that terrorism began in Mali before spreading to Niger and Burkina Faso.

In November 2025, he said the AES states' absence from the Accra Initiative had weakened regional coordination, and that he was seeking a new platform to bring them back in. He has also pressed the same case with Ghana's other partners, proposing a revitalized Accra Initiative in talks with the EU's Special Representative for the Sahel.

In London he also addressed the long-delayed West African standby force. He said the delay was due to the lack of a UN resolution to help provide the financing needed. This matters for Ghana because the threat is no longer distant. Militants have been reported along the long border with Burkina Faso, and northern communities such as Bawku remain vulnerable.

There is a delicate balance here. Welcoming all partners is pragmatic for a country that wants to keep channels open to the AES while preserving cooperation with the EU, the UK and Germany.

But openness has to come with clear conditions: respect for sovereignty, accountability for abuses against civilians, and coordination with regional mechanisms. Otherwise, a multiplicity of foreign partners risks fragmenting the response rather than strengthening it.

Mahama's message is a reminder that no single country or bloc can win this fight alone. The real test will be whether this welcome becomes a working security framework that links ECOWAS and the AES, or remains a diplomatic gesture.

Mustapha Bature Sallama
Medical/Science communicator, Private Investigator, Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Analysis,United States Institute of Peace (USIP), [email protected] +233555275880

Sources
Reuters (Libby George), "Ghana president: anybody committed to fighting terrorism is welcome in West Africa," London, 21 Oct 2026. This is the main quote and the Financial Times Africa Summit context. Republished by TimesLIVE: https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/africa/2026-10-21-anybody-committed-to-fighting-terrorism-welcome-in-west-africa/ and

Yahoo News: https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/ghana-president-anybody-committed-fight-084353905.html

Reuters via Polity.org.za, 21 Oct 2026. It confirms the remark was a response to a question on Russian involvement in the Sahel: https://www.polity.org.za/article/ghana-president-anybody-committed-to-fight-terrorism-is-welcome-in-west-africa-2026-10-21

Graphic Online, "President Mahama open to Russian security assistance in Sahel," 21 Oct 2026. It also covers the delayed standby force and the UN resolution financing issue: https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/president-mahama-open-to-russian-security-assistance-in-sahel-says-anyone-fighting-terrorism-is-welcome.html

Africa Briefing, "Mahama open to Russian role in Sahel." This is the source for the point that Russia's role divides opinion: https://africabriefing.com/mahama-open-to-russian-role-in-sahel/

Starr FM, "Mahama pledges to relay Sahel States' concerns to ECOWAS." It has the "cancer" and "neighbour's house on fire" remarks after his tour of the AES states: https://starrfm.com.gh/mahama-pledges-to-relay-sahel-states-concerns-to-ecowas/

Graphic Online, "Ghana and Germany agree on stronger regional response to terrorism in West Africa," 3 Nov 2025. It covers the Accra Initiative and the AES states' absence: https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/ghana-and-germany-agree-on-stronger-regional-response-to-terrorism-in-west-africa.html

Ghana News Agency (Iddi Yire), "Ghana, EU strengthen partnership to address Sahel security challenges," 4 Dec 2025. It has the proposal for a revitalised Accra Initiative: https://gna.org.gh/2025/12/ghana-eu-strengthen-partnership-to-address-sahel-security-challenges/

ADF Magazine, "Le nouveau président du Ghana fait face à la menace imminente du terrorisme." It supports the point on militants along the Ghana-Burkina Faso border and Bawku (French): https://adf-magazine.com/fr/2024/12/le-nouveau-president-du-ghana-fait-face-a-la-menace-imminente-du-terrorisme