Togo crisis: Ghana’s trappings of neutrality leaves much to be desired – Irbard

International Relations and Security Expert, Irbard Ibrahim has slammed President Akufo-Addo for what he calls the bad posture ahead of his mediation talks in the Togo crisis.

According to Irbard, the state failed to hold itself as neutral in the Togo crisis, when Togolese nationals decided to demonstrate in Ghana.

“My concerns are that when you mediate, you need to uphold all the tenets of neutrality and impartiality. For you to resolve a conflict of crisis situation and be successful as Mediator-in-Chief, all the trappings of impartiality should be vividly clear.” Irbard said in an interview with Fiifi Banson on Anopa Kasapa on Kasapa 102.5 FM.

Mr. Bernard Mornah and 12 others including security analyst, Irbad Ibrahim who were part of Ghana-Togo Solidarity movement, staging a peaceful march last year in solidarity with the political crisis in Togo were rounded up by the Police for allegedly embarking on an illegal protest.

Police had indicated their action was in clear breach of the Public Order Act hence their arrest.

But the Police were harshly criticised for their aggressive responses to that peaceful march by the group and the detention of Mornah and his men.

Commenting on the fallout from the Togo crisis and President Akufo-Addo’s mediation efforts, Irbard said there could have been no better person within the ECOWAS sub-region who could have led such mediation efforts than, His Excellency President Akufo-Addo.

“In terms of International Mediation, he[Akufo-Addo] has some experience. It will be recalled that in 2006, in the heady days of the Hezbollah-Israeli skirmishes, when the UN was declaring ceasefire, it was now President Akufo-Addo who read the terms of the ceasefire as the Foreign Affairs Minister of Ghana. He is also bilingual.”

However, he said the State’s Posture during the earlier demonstration by the Togolese nationals resident in Ghana leaves much to be desired.



“Ghana is a sovereign country, and when our President travels to UK and US, our citizens in that country are not stopped from demonstrating against issues of concern to them in Ghana. When the Togolese Nationals resident in Ghana decided to protest in Ghana in relation to the political crisis in their home-country, the Police went to scatter them. Again when Chairman Bernard Mornah, and I decided to go on a peaceful march because we were aligned with the issues in Togo and for the fact that it borders on Human Rights issue and International security, it ended up in our arrest, and we were detained for hours at the Nima Police Station.” Irbard decried.