President John Dramani Mahama has called on the United States, Israel, and Iran to halt hostilities and return to dialogue amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.
The appeal was made during a bilateral meeting with Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan at the State House Arusha.
President Mahama warned that the recent attacks on Iran by the United States and Israel, followed by Iran’s counterattacks on Gulf countries, were generating serious geopolitical shocks with potential global economic consequences.
“We know that these shocks will come. But when they come, we must prepare ourselves to make sure that our people are protected,” he stated.
He noted that the Middle East remains central to global energy supply and cautioned that rising crude oil prices could significantly affect developing economies.
“As it is, that region is the epicenter of global oil supplies. When crude prices rise above a certain level, it negatively impacts our countries. We therefore call for the cessation of the conflict and the return to dialogue so that peace can return to the region,” President Mahama added.
The Ghanaian leader is in Tanzania as the guest of honour at the opening of the 2026 Judicial Year of Tanzania and the 20th Anniversary of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
During the bilateral talks, the two leaders acknowledged the historic relationship between Ghana and Tanzania dating back to their founding presidents, Kwame Nkrumah and Julius Nyerere. They also noted the absence of a Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation (PJCC) between the two countries and agreed to fast-track its establishment. Both sides further discussed plans for future state visits aimed at signing several memoranda of understanding to deepen cooperation.
President Mahama highlighted Ghana’s recent economic progress, noting that small-scale gold exports have increased from 63 tonnes to 104 tonnes within nine months, injecting about $10 billion into the national economy. He stressed the need for African nations to assert greater control over their natural resources and reduce dependence on external financing.
On cocoa financing, he disclosed that Ghana intends to mobilise local resources to purchase at least 400,000 metric tonnes of cocoa for domestic processing beginning next season.
President Mahama also commended President Hassan for establishing an independent commission of inquiry following Tanzania’s post-election situation, noting that transparency strengthens democratic governance.
As the African Union Champion on Reparations, he further revealed that a resolution recognising the transatlantic slave trade as a crime against humanity will be tabled at the United Nations General Assembly on March 25.
