President John Dramani Mahama has held high-level talks with Samia Suluhu Hassan at the State House in Arusha, focusing on strengthening Ghana–Tanzania relations and addressing key regional and global developments. The meeting reaffirmed historic ties between Ghana and Tanzania, rooted in the Pan-African vision of Kwame Nkrumah and Julius Nyerere. Both leaders agreed to fast-track the establishment of a Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation (PJCC) and are working toward a future State Visit to formalise new bilateral agreements and memoranda of understanding.
On global affairs, Mahama expressed concern over escalating tensions in the Middle East involving the United States, Israel and Iran, warning that instability in the Gulf — a critical hub for global energy supply — could trigger oil price volatility with serious economic consequences for African economies. Economic transformation and resource governance featured prominently in the discussions. Mahama highlighted Ghana’s recent reforms in the gold sector, noting that small-scale gold exports rose from 63 to 104 metric tones within nine months, generating about $10 billion in revenue. He stressed the importance of resource sovereignty and value addition, announcing Ghana’s decision to move away from external cocoa financing arrangements and instead mobilize domestic resources to purchase at least 400,000 metric tones of cocoa annually for local processing.
Mahama is in Arusha as Special Guest of Honour at the 20th anniversary and opening of the 2026 Legal Year of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights. He praised the Court’s role in advancing justice and urged African Union member states yet to ratify its founding protocol to do so. He also commended Tanzania’s post-election initiatives, including the formation of an independent Commission of Inquiry and plans for a Reconciliation Commission, describing them as signs of democratic maturity and commitment to national cohesion. In his role as African Union Champion on Reparations, Mahama confirmed that a resolution recognising the transatlantic slave trade as a crime against humanity will be tabled before the UN General Assembly on 25 March, thanking Tanzania for its support of the reparations agenda.
