Ghana, Liberia Agree to Cooperate in Defense, Power, Fishing

The governments of Ghana and Liberia have agreed to work together in areas of defense, power, and illegal fishing enforcement following bilateral talks between President John Mahama of Ghana and Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf on Monday in Accra, Ghana.

According to a report published by the Liberia News Agency, President Mahama stated, “Ghana is ready to offer technical expertise to our Liberian counterparts” with support from the Volta River Authority to help them develop reliable distribution of electricity through the private sector and increase power supply.

He cited the rehabilitation of the Mount Coffee Hydro Power facility as a key milestone to expanding power supply throughout Liberia.

“With your country’s experience in power generation and distribution, Ghanaian expertise would be helpful to Liberia’s power expansion program,” President Sirleaf noted.

Security and Military Cooperation

Under the agreement, members of Liberia’s armed forces may use Ghanaian military facilities for training and capacity development. This includes access to 37 Military Hospital in Ghana.

The two West African leaders also agreed to cooperate in enforcing policies against illegal fishing, even as Liberia continues to accuse Ghanaian vessels of illegally fishing on its waters.

With the rising threat of terror in West Africa, both nations will share military intelligence to address the problem.

The Liberian President welcomed the new found collaboration with Ghana, saying it will work to further cement the historic relations between the two nations.

Insisting that the agreement is mutually beneficial, President Sirleaf encouraged further intra-regional cooperation in keeping with ECOWAS’ integration policies, indicating that such integration will boost economic growth and development.

Previous Integration

Liberia and Ghana have enjoyed decades of integration at the citizen level, particularly in areas of trade, education, and matrimony.

Ghana was among the first African countries to intervene in the Liberian civil conflict of the late 1990s and also spearheaded peace talks that led to the establishment of a transitional government in Liberia in 2003.