Accra (TDI): Ghana is observing a period of national mourning following the deaths of its Defense Minister Edward Omane Boamah and Environment Minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed in a helicopter crash on Wednesday.
The incident was confirmed by the presidency just hours after the military reported the aircraft missing.
According to the Ghana Armed Forces, the chopper departed Accra shortly after 9:00 a.m. and was en route to Obuasi in the country’s northwest. The aircraft, which had five passengers and three crew members on board, lost contact with air traffic control mid-flight. Authorities later confirmed that there were no survivors.
Boamah had only recently taken up the post as Defense Minister under President John Mahama, who assumed office earlier this year. A physician by profession, Boamah previously served as Communications Minister during Mahama’s 2012, 2017 administration and had also worked as Deputy Environment Minister.
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His current tenure came at a tense time for Ghana’s northern borders, with growing concern over jihadist activity in neighboring Burkina Faso. Though Ghana has so far escaped the kind of militant violence seen in Togo and Benin, experts have warned of increased weapons smuggling and the movement of armed groups across the region’s porous borders.
The late Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, who led the Environment, Science, and Technology Ministry, was a key figure in Ghana’s climate and development policy.
In addition to the two ministers, the crash also claimed the lives of Alhaji Muniru Mohammed, a former Agriculture Minister and Ghana’s Deputy National Security Coordinator, as well as Samuel Sarpong, vice chairman of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).
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The aircraft was part of Ghana’s Air Force fleet, and its disappearance initially raised alarm when it vanished from radar screens. No indication was given at the time that senior officials were on board.
President Mahama, deeply shaken by the loss, cancelled all official engagements for the day. In a statement issued by Chief of Staff Julius Debrah, the presidency offered heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased and paid tribute to their service to the nation.
Boamah had recently traveled to Burkina Faso in May, leading a diplomatic mission as Ghana sought to strengthen dialogue with neighboring countries like Mali and Niger, all of which are currently governed by military juntas and have distanced themselves from ECOWAS, the regional West African bloc.
Farkhund Yousafzai is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
