Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has provided a rare glimpse into the high-level military coordination that facilitated the Christmas Day 2025 airstrikes against ISIS targets in Sokoto State, Nigeria.
Speaking at the Chatham House think tank on Monday, 9th March 2026, the minister confirmed that the mission, which saw the United States deploy Tomahawk cruise missiles against extremist enclaves, was a trilateral effort.
He revealed that Ghana was formally invited by both the Nigerian and American governments to collaborate on the operation, which targeted the rising threat of the Lakurawa jihadist group in Nigeria’s northwest.
The ‘Sokoto Protocol’: Sovereignty vs. Security
Addressing an audience of diplomats and security experts, Mr. Ablakwa used the Sokoto mission as a blueprint for future international defence pacts, including the forthcoming agreement between Ghana and the European Union.
He stressed that while the threat of terrorism in the Sahel is grave, the "territorial integrity" of African states remains non-negotiable.
The Nigerians will confirm to you that they invited the Americans, and they also reached out to Ghana to collaborate. Yes, both the Nigerians and the Americans. So that’s how we are playing this out. Sovereignty has to be respected, territorial integrity has to be respected,” Mr. Ablakwa stated.
Avoiding the ‘Venezuela Situation’
The minister issued a stark warning against unilateral military interventions, referencing the "Venezuela situation" as a cautionary tale of geopolitical overreach.
He argued that the success of the Christmas Day strikes was rooted in the fact that the "scope of the intervention" was strictly defined and agreed upon by all parties before the first missile was launched from the Gulf of Guinea.
The minister noted that the Ghanaian public expects its leaders to maintain a firm grip on national independence, even when partnering with global superpowers:
We must know exactly what the scope is, what you are coming to do, the nature of the intervention... our citizens would not forgive us, and legitimately so, if we just take away their sovereignty and allow external elements to just come in and do whatever they want.”
A new era of African-led solutions
The Christmas Day operation was a significant tactical shift, marking the first time the Trump administration utilised such direct force against ISIS-West Africa. While the US framed the strikes as a mission to protect Christian communities, the Nigerian and Ghanaian governments have maintained a more nuanced stance, focusing on the broader "Sahelian jihadist threat" that endangers all faiths.
The Foreign Minister’s remarks at Chatham House align with sentiments shared by his Nigerian counterpart, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, who joined him on the panel to advocate for "local security solutions" supported, but not led, by foreign boots on the ground.
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