The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) and South African National Defence Force (SANDF) strengthened bilateral defence ties during a two-day defence meeting in Ghana.
The GAF said the meeting was held on 29 and 30 July at the Command Officers Mess in Burma Camp and involved Ghana’s Deputy Minister of Defence, Kofi Amankwa-Manu, and South Africa’s Acting Secretary for Defence, Dr Thobekile Gamede, amongst others.
The meeting came on the back of a February 2023 Memorandum of Understanding for military exchange training programmes. Discussions in the meeting were on areas such as military exercises, intelligence sharing, and the procurement of defence equipment, the GAF stated.
The 2023 agreement was followed by a South Africa-Ghana Bi-National Commission held in March 2024 in Pretoria, where the two nations reaffirmed their commitment to bilateral relations across various sectors, including defence and security.
Amankwa-Manu said the July meeting of senior military officers from the two nations provided an opportunity to rekindle friendship, deepen bilateral ties, and strengthen the cause of African economic integration as outlined in the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
“He expressed confidence that the meeting would better equip the defence establishments of both countries to confront challenges and contribute to a more secure and peaceful Africa. The minister commended the participants from South Africa for sharing their knowledge, experiences, ideas, and insightful recommendations,” the GAF said in a statement.
Amankwa-Manu also hoped South Africa and Ghana would make use of opportunities that the Defence Industry Holding Company (DIHOC) of the Ghana Armed Forces presents.
Gamede said the long-standing defence and security relations between Ghana and South Africa date back decades and expressed gratitude for the collaboration. She said she hoped for sustained relations to advance the security architecture of both countries to fight existing and future threats.
During her visit, Gamede and her delegation also visited Chief of the Defence Staff, Lieutenant General Thomas Oppong-Peprah at the General Headquarters. She congratulated him on his promotion and discussed ways of strengthening ties between the two militaries.
Oppong-Peprah said the GAF and SANDF have collaborated in areas such as training, defence industries and security operations which had strengthened the bilateral relations between both institutions. He called for a more collaborative effort to exchange experiences in peace and security.
The South African delegation included Colonel Andrew Amoldus – Defence Attaché at the South African High Commission in Accra; Major General Godfrey Thulare – Chief of Staff, Joint Operations; Kopano Lebelo – Acting Chief, Defence Materiel; and Major General Bonzinkosi Ngcobo – Deputy Chief of Staff, SANDF.
GAF representatives included Chief Director, Ministry of Defence, Dr Evans Dzikum; Chiefs of the Army, Naval and Air Staff, Major General Bismarck Kwasi Onwona, Rear Admiral Issah Adam Yakubu, and Air Vice Marshal Frederick Kwasi Asare Bekoe; Chief of Staff, General Headquarters – Major General Joseph Prince Osei-Owusu; Deputy Chief of Staff, Logistics – Rear Admiral Samuel Agyenim-Boateng; and Defence Attaché at Ghana’s High Commission, South Africa – Commodore Samuel Walker.
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