Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire unveil 37 border pillars, closing first phase of boundary exercise

Pinned summary · as of 15:42

Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire have put 37 new boundary markers in place along their shared frontier, ending the first phase of a joint effort to restate where the border runs. Two ceremonies, one on each side of the line, marked the handover of the pillars, which were built by the Ghana Armed Forces with foreign funding.

What we know

• Both governments took part in commissioning 37 freshly constructed pillars along their border, which ends the opening stage of their joint land boundary reaffirmation programme.
• This first stage was overseen by the Ghana Boundary Commission and stretched over 150 kilometres of the land border.
• By type, the 37 include one terminus marker, twelve main ones, twenty intermediate ones and four positioned at border crossings.
• Germany's development agency GIZ and the African Union's border programme paid for the work, while the Ghana Armed Forces' 48 Engineer Regiment built the pillars as contractor.
• At New Town, in Ghana's Jomoro Municipality, the terminus marker was commissioned; it shows where the land border ends and the sea boundary begins. A second ceremony took place at Diby on the Ivorian side, close to Yaakase in the Enchi area, where pillar IBP48 was commissioned; it counts as a Main Pillar and a crossing pillar at once.
• Major General Anthony Ntem, who heads the Ghana Boundary Commission, said the markers strengthen the African Union's ideal of a continent without barriers. He argued that this ideal rests on boundaries that are clear and respected by both sides, and asked stakeholders to see the pillars as signs of certainty, cooperation and peaceful coexistence.
• Dr Diakalidia Konate, the executive secretary of the Ivorian national boundary body, said the programme is meant to make the frontier easier to see on the ground. He thanked the joint technical committees for their first-phase work and asked them to bring the same commitment to what follows.
• The second phase is planned to begin later this year. Onua Online and MyJoyOnline both said it would cover about 400 kilometres and be supervised by the Ivorian side's boundary body.
• Germany's ambassador to Côte d'Ivoire, Matthias Veltin, said his government stands by efforts that promote African integration. He added that GIZ works with the AU programme to help countries mark and manage shared borders and avoid conflict.
• Wilbert Petty Brentum, the region's minister for the Western North, spoke for Lands and Natural Resources Minister Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah. He said the pillars reflect both countries' effort to honour a 1964 pledge by African states, and asked border residents to look after the markers and promote peace with their neighbours.

What's disputed / unconfirmed

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  Onua Online alone gave the dates of the ceremonies as Tuesday, 22 September at New Town and Thursday, 24 September at Diby; the other reports do not state dates.

Why it matters for Ghana

A clearly marked boundary gives border communities in the Western and Western North regions, and their Ivorian neighbours, a visible reference for where each country's authority begins. Officials say this certainty helps government plan and administer territory, and that it supports trade and the movement of people between the two states. Residents are also being asked to protect the pillars, so local care will affect how long the markers last.