News Guide Africa

Tag: France

  • ‘One Health’ Summit: Mahama arrives in Lyon to co-chair the high-stake global event 

    ‘One Health’ Summit: Mahama arrives in Lyon to co-chair the high-stake global event 

    By Humu Shaibu

     

    President John Dramani Mahama arrived in Lyon on Monday to a warm reception from the Ghanaian community, signaling the start of a high-profile diplomatic mission aimed at reshaping the global health landscape.

     

    ​The President is in France at the invitation of President Emmanuel Macron to co-chair the 2026 Global One Health Summit. The arrival, which took place on Easter Monday, marks the beginning of a three-day official visit that will see Ghana take center stage in international discussions on pandemic preparedness, food security, and environmental health.

     

    ​A Leadership Role on the World Stage

     

    ​President Mahama is scheduled to co-chair the High-Level segment of the summit alongside President Macron on Tuesday. The gathering brings together world leaders, health ministers, and global experts to address the “One Health” approach a strategy that recognizes the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health.

     

    ​According to a statement from the Presidency, Mahama will deliver two pivotal keynote addresses. The first will focus on “Global Health Architecture,” co-chaired by President Macron and WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. The second will outline Ghana’s specific commitments to global health security.

     

    ​”This summit is our moment to lead, not only in financing our systems but also in reshaping the rules that govern global health,” President Mahama stated ahead of the event.

     

    ​The ‘Accra Reset’ and African Sovereignty

    ​A key highlight of the summit is expected to be the endorsement of the “Accra Compact.”

     

    This initiative, championed by President Mahama under the “Accra Reset” banner, advocates for a reimagined global health governance framework that reflects the needs of developing nations and ensures African health sovereignty.

     

    ​The summit aims to finalize a roadmap for international health cooperation, focusing on:

    ​Zoonotic Diseases: Preventing the spillover of viruses from animals to humans.

     

    ​Sustainable Food Systems: Ensuring nutrition and safety in global food chains.

    ​Antimicrobial Resistance: Tackling the rising threat of drug-resistant infections.

     

    ​Diplomatic Ties and Bilateral Talks

     

    ​Following the conclusion of the summit in Lyon, the President will travel to Paris on Wednesday, April 8, for a bilateral meeting with President Macron at the Élysée Palace.

     

    ​The two leaders are expected to discuss strengthening Ghana-France relations, with a focus on education, trade, investment, and regional security in West Africa.

     

    President Mahama is also scheduled to hold talks with the President of the French Senate, Gérard Larcher, to bolster parliamentary cooperation between the two nations.

     

    ​Looking Ahead

     

    ​The outcomes of this summit are expected to feed into France’s G7 Presidency later this year. For Ghana, the visit underscores its growing influence in global health diplomacy.

     

    President Mahama is expected to return to Accra following the conclusion of his diplomatic engagements in Paris.

  • Mahama and Macron strengthen Ghana-France ties at Paris Peace Forum

    Mahama and Macron strengthen Ghana-France ties at Paris Peace Forum

    President John Dramani Mahama of Ghana and French President Emmanuel Macron held extensive bilateral talks at the Élysée Palace on Thursday, discussing security cooperation, economic development, and regional stability on the sidelines of the 2025 Paris Peace Forum.

    The meeting opened on a solemn note, with President Macron offering condolences for the recent passing of Ghana’s former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings.

    Both leaders praised the Paris Peace Initiative and the strengthening of relations between Ghana and France. A key focus of the talks was Ghana’s request for French assistance in combating piracy in its territorial waters. President Mahama sought support to protect Ghana’s maritime integrity from increasing piratical threats in the Gulf of Guinea.

    The two leaders also discussed a French concessionary loan for Ghana’s health sector that is awaiting parliamentary approval. President Mahama asked his French counterpart to use his influence with the International Monetary Fund to secure Ghana’s access to the facility from the French Development Bank, noting Ghana’s improved debt-to-GDP ratio.

    President Mahama, in his capacity as the African Union (AU) Champion of African Financial Institutions, advocated for collaboration to renegotiate loan agreements with lower interest rates for infrastructure projects.

    He emphasised Ghana’s role as home to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) secretariat and the need for enhanced road infrastructure to facilitate intra-African trade.

    The Mahama highlighted Ghana’s ambitious one-million-coders programme, which has already registered 200,000 students. He requested French support to train additional French language teachers to improve language education in Ghanaian schools.

    President Macron noted several upcoming opportunities for collaboration, including the VivaTech Summit in Nairobi in May 2026, where Ghana could showcase its digital innovation capabilities, the African Union-European Union summit in Angola, and the June 2026 G7 summit, where France would advocate for increased support for Ghana.

    President Mahama raised the subject of reparations for slavery, which Ghana is currently championing. President Macron pledged support for the initiative, noting that France had criminalised slavery, while cautioning that the reparations discussion should acknowledge the involvement of various actors beyond Western powers.

    The leaders discussed the deteriorating security situation in the Sahel region, particularly terrorist incursions in Mali and other countries of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).

     

    President Macron commended President Mahama’s leadership in the subregion, and Ghana’s economic reforms, pledging continued French support for Ghana’s development agenda.