Security analyst and expert in international relations Dr. Vladimir Antwi Danso has supported the invitation of Capt. Ibrahim Traoré, the head of state of Burkina Faso, to attend President John Dramani Mahama's swearing-in and inauguration.
On January 8, 2025, Dr. Danso stated in an interview with News Central on TV3 that the invitation was based on Ghana's foreign policy values, specifically good neighborliness.
"Government and ideology cannot be imposed by any nation. "We extend an invitation to the head of state of another nation because good neighborliness is a fundamental tenet of our foreign policy," he continued.
By contrasting the invitation with diplomatic ties with nations like Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Iraq that may not share Western democratic values, Dr. Danso further questioned the legitimacy of the reasons against it.
Are we implying that we know we cannot invite the theocratic Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Syria, or any other Middle Eastern nation that is not democratic in the traditional sense of the word? Even though Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Kuwait lack the kind of democracy that America does, why would America have ties to any of these countries? Thus, in my opinion, the debate is neither here nor there. Since he is Burkina Faso's head of state and has the sovereign right to come here, we are perfectly entitled to invite him.
Therefore, it is not up for argument whether or not we should invite because we are a democratic country. As Head of State, he is valued by his own people, and we are welcoming him. "Whether you like it or not, he is the head of state of the country, and his own people have faith in him," he said, despite the fact that his people did not choose him the way we did.
Dr. Danso explained that Burkina Faso's attendance at the inauguration had no serious ramifications for Ghana's leadership.
He insisted that all nations, regardless of their political situation, should be regarded as independent nations.
"Ghana does not clone ECOWAS. We don't have to deal with you after you leave ECOWAS, they would say. Definitely not. It is their own nation, and we have no business caring what they do with it. We are worried about the need for bilateral or political ties, commerce, economic cooperation, and peace with every nation on the planet. "That is among the cornerstones of our foreign policy," he continued.
The leader of Burkina Faso attending the event, according to Dr. Danso, might also act as a spark for improving diplomatic ties within the ECOWAS area.
"But for the ECOWAS sub region and the conversations to have these countries return, I believe this and his appearance with the ECOWAS chair, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, all present yesterday will be a booster of some sort," he stated.
Critics have expressed worry about a security breach that occurred during the president's inauguration, allowing Ibrahim Traoré—who was allegedly armed—to approach Mahama to offer congratulations.
They have questioned if security procedures are sufficient during well-publicized events and whether such failures could have serious repercussions.
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