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Algeria is claiming that Ghana has reversed its stance on the Western Sahara. This comes despite Accra’s announcement on January 7 that it was suspending diplomatic relations with the so-called «Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR)».
On Friday, Algeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement following the visit of Ghanaian Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa. According to the release, both sides called for a «political solution to the Western Sahara issue that guarantees the Sahrawi people's right to self-determination in accordance with international law»—a message widely amplified by media outlets close to the Polisario Front.
However, this issue was not mentioned in Algeria's official communication following the April 30 meeting in Algiers between Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf and his Ghanaian counterpart. Instead, the Algerian Foreign Ministry stated that «the ministers emphasized the need for ongoing coordination to support peace, development, and integration efforts in Africa, based on the shared interests of both countries».
A familiar strategy from Algiers
On Ghana’s side, the Sahara issue was conspicuously absent from Foreign Minister Ablakwa’s official statement after his April 30 meeting with President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. «We signed a visa waiver agreement, increased scholarship quotas for Ghanaian students in artificial intelligence, robotics, and engineering, launched a direct flight project between Accra and Algiers, initiated a strategic oil and gas partnership, enhanced security and intelligence cooperation, and revitalized our economic ties», the Ghanaian diplomat proudly shared on X (formerly Twitter).
Ghanaian media echoed this focus, reporting primarily on the visa waiver agreement for diplomatic passport holders and economic cooperation—mirroring parts of the Foreign Minister’s public remarks.
Algeria has a well-documented habit of presenting visiting delegations as endorsing its position on the Sahara. For example, following President Abdelmadjid Tebboune’s state visit to China on July 18, 2023, Algerian state media suggested Chinese backing for the Polisario. A similar narrative emerged during Sierra Leone’s presidential visit to Algiers in January 2024, despite the West African nation’s recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara. The same pattern occurred during Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob’s visit in May 2024.
Yet just weeks later, Slovenia described Morocco’s autonomy plan for the Sahara as a «serious and credible basis» for resolving the regional dispute. That position was clearly stated in a joint declaration published on June 11, 2024, in Rabat, following talks between Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita and Slovenian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon. Slovenia reaffirmed its stance on April 18, 2025.
Meanwhile, Brahim Boughali, president of Algeria’s lower house of parliament, reportedly failed to persuade Ghana to reverse its decision to sever ties with the «SADR».
Ghana, for its part, is currently focused on efforts to reintegrate Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso into the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Morocco, similarly, is pushing for these three countries—along with Guinea, Gabon, and Sudan—to regain their seats within the African Union.
