Ghana’s parliamentary minority calls to halt port cooperation with Colombia — MyJoyOnline

The parliamentary minority on Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Committee has called on the government to immediately suspend arrangements with Colombia on maritime and port cooperation. Minority representatives linked this demand to recent large cocaine seizures which, they said, have connections to Ghana, MyJoyOnline reports.

The statement was signed by the MP for Damongo and Ranking Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Samuel Abu Jinapor. It described the situation as an urgent national security concern.

Arrangements with Colombia

According to the parliamentary minority, concerns intensified after Ghana and Colombia concluded bilateral arrangements. They provide for the mutual waiver of visa requirements, as well as a maritime trade agreement between the Port of Tema in Ghana and the Port of Cartagena in Colombia.

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The authors of the statement referred to the 2026 World Drug Report by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, published in June. According to them, the document identifies Colombia as the main country of departure for cocaine shipments, most of which are transported by sea.

Demand for a security review

The minority also mentioned a JoyNews report of September 29, 2026, according to which Belgian authorities ranked Ghana fifth among the countries of origin of cocaine seized at the Port of Antwerp. The statement claims that Ghana was the only African state and the only country outside South and Central America in this top five.

The parliamentary minority demands that the implementation of the visa-free agreement and the port and maritime arrangements be suspended. It also called for a comprehensive security review of the entire mechanism, including the visa-free agreement, before parliament. In the opinion of the statement’s authors, the risks to Ghana’s ports, state institutions and the country’s international reputation must be assessed.