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Ghana hosts High-Level Regional Meeting on Combating Firearms Trafficking
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Ghana has taken a significant step in the fight against illicit firearms trafficking by hosting a 3-day high-level Regional Planning Meeting for Operation KAFO VI in Accra, which aims at dismantling arms networks and enhancing regional security.
Addressing participants, the Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, noted that “let this planning meeting not be remembered as another workshop. Let it be remembered as the beginning of a new phase in regional enforcement where we do not merely react to threats, but anticipate, prevent and dismantle them. We must see it through with unity, integrity and urgency.”
He stated that the meeting focuses on coordinating joint efforts to combat firearms trafficking and associated threats throughout the West African Sub-region and that Operation KAFO VI emphasises understanding the threat before it reaches borders and also empowers law enforcement officers with data, training and cooperation mechanisms.
Muntaka Mubarak added that the comprehensive training programme integrated into Operation KAFO VI will provide regional training of trainers, national-level capacity building and standardised tools for operational plans and threat assessments.
The operation also promotes gender balance, encouraging the inclusion of more qualified women in all areas, from planning to operations.
The meeting is expected to assist participating countries in identifying key border points for intervention and developing a united and strategic response to arms trafficking and violent extremism. The operation aims to build trust between national authorities, agencies and partners and to facilitate the sharing of intelligence and best practices.
In his welcome remarks, the Chief of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Ghana, Mr. Christoph Capelle, stated that the Regional Planning Meeting marks another milestone in the fight against illegal arms and crime in West Africa.
He noted that UNODC is providing technical assistance to Ghana because collaboration is essential and no country or agency can combat illicit firearms and crime alone, as the situation has become transnational and complex, requiring a collective effort.
The meeting is expected to bring together representatives from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the Diplomatic corps and participants from Ghana, Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali and Togo.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has taken note of public allegations of extortion and related conduct made against the Minority Leader of Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin.
The allegations were made by the Chief Executive of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), Sammy Gyamfi.
In a brief statement, the OSP said it has also received a joint petition submitted by two persons, as well as two separate petitions from other persons, in relation to the same allegations.
“Given the nature of the allegations, the OSP will assess the case and determine whether it falls within its statutory mandate and whether further investigative action is warranted,” the statement said.
The development comes amid a heated public feud between the Minority in Parliament and the leadership of GoldBod over the operations of the Domestic Gold Purchase Programme.
The Minority, led by Afenyo-Markin, has accused GoldBod and the Bank of Ghana of causing a loss of over $1.7 billion, citing the International Monetary Fund’s August 2026 report. The Minority has vowed to pursue the matter as Parliament has reconvened for an emergency sitting.
GoldBod, on the other hand, has rejected claims by some NPP MPs, including Tano South MP Dr Gideon Boako, that it owes the Bank of Ghana GH¢1 billion in overdrafts, describing the claim as “false and malicious.”
In the latest twist, GoldBod CEO Sammy Gyamfi has accused the Minority Leader of extortion and related conduct, an allegation that has triggered petitions to the OSP.
The OSP is mandated under Act 959 to investigate and prosecute specific cases of alleged or suspected corruption and corruption-related offences involving public officers and politically exposed persons.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Justin Kodua Frimpong, has filed his nomination to contest the position of General Secretary again as the party begins its rebuilding efforts ahead of the 2028 general elections.
He was accompanied by party stalwarts and supporters who were in high spirits, expressing confidence that he is the right person to hold the position.
Speaking after filing his nomination, Mr Kodua Frimpong assured the rank and file of the party that he would not disappoint them.
“I can assure you that the faith the rank and file of the party have had in me, I will never disappoint them,” he said.
He also pledged to run a clean campaign devoid of personal attacks.
“I can assure you that our internal campaign will be devoid of personal attacks,” he told his fellow contestants and the rank and file of the party as he seeks to retain his position.
His tenure has seen the party through the 2024 general elections, where the NPP lost power to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) after eight years in government.
The party is currently in a rebuilding phase, with internal elections scheduled to elect new national executives to lead its reorganization towards the 2028 polls.
The General Secretary position is considered one of the most influential in the party’s administrative structure, responsible for the day-to-day running of the party secretariat and implementation of party decisions.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
