Accra: Security consultant and a professor at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), Kwesi Aning, has criticised Ghanaian authorities over what he describes as a failure to issue a formal travel advisory to traders who frequently journey to Burkina Faso, despite the rising wave of terrorist attacks across the Sahel. Speaking on JoyNews AM Show on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, Aning revealed that he had asked a producer to confirm whether any Ghanaian institution including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ghana Road Transport Union or the Tomato Sellers Association had issued a caution to traders travelling to Burkina Faso, Mali or Algeria.
According to Ghana Web, the outcome was worrying, as no such advisory had been issued. Aning expressed concern over the state's lack of action, highlighting the dangers faced by traders who travel to conflict zones out of necessity. He commented on the situation, stating, 'When a state fails its people at their critical point of need, words of sympathy almost don't mean anything.' He further elaborated on the risks these traders face, emphasizing the dire circumstances that compel them to seek livelihoods in hazardous areas.
Media reports indicate that a recent attack in Burkina Faso resulted in the death of ten men, including a driver, and injured three others. The attack also affected eight women, although they did not suffer severe injuries. However, Eric Tuffuor, President of the Ghana National Tomatoes Transporters and Sellers Association, provided a differing account, asserting that eleven men lost their lives. He claimed that the assailants shot the men upon sight, abducted some women, and set the truck ablaze.
In response to the incident, Aning urged the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and relevant trade unions to urgently implement formal travel advisories and safety measures for Ghanaians conducting business within the Sahel region. He cautioned that without these precautions, more lives could be lost, resulting in preventable tragedies and grieving families.