Ghanaian tomato traders are raising concerns over how a new security agreement between Ghana and Burkina Faso will work in practice, particularly its promise to provide security escorts along key cross border trade routes.
The Ghana National Tomatoes Traders and Transporters Association says the arrangement could improve confidence in a vital trade corridor, but questions remain over whether security personnel can safely escort traders into areas that authorities have already identified as high risk.
Burkina Faso continues to face a severe jihadist insurgency that has disrupted transport, agriculture and commercial activity across parts of the country. The security situation has become an increasingly important factor for Ghanaian businesses that depend on the country for fresh tomato supplies.
Eric Osei Tuffuor, chairman of the Ghanaian traders association, told the BBC that many of the areas where Ghanaian traders source tomatoes are located in designated security hotspots.
He questioned how the proposed escort system would work when some of those locations have already been declared dangerous by authorities.
Tuffuor also recalled an attack on one of the association’s trucks. According to him, the vehicle has remained in Burkina Faso for about two years after it was bombed, despite efforts to seek assistance through Ghana’s diplomatic mission.
His concern is that a formal security agreement will have limited value for traders if the operational details are not clearly communicated and implemented on the ground.
What Ghana and Burkina Faso Agreed
Ghana and Burkina Faso signed the defence cooperation agreement on Monday as both countries seek to strengthen security cooperation and protect commercial activity along their shared economic corridor.
The agreement includes intelligence sharing and military escorts for traders.
Ghana’s Acting Minister for Defence, Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, and Burkina Faso’s Minister of State and Minister of War and Patriotic Defence, Major General Célestin Simporé, signed the agreement.
According to Ghana’s Ministry of Defence, the arrangement is designed to safeguard economic stability, protect critical supply routes and strengthen bilateral defence ties.
The agreement comes at a particularly sensitive time for West Africa. Relations between the Economic Community of West African States and members of the Alliance of Sahel States have become increasingly strained, making bilateral security cooperation more significant for regional commerce.
If Ghana and Burkina Faso can make the arrangement work, the model could offer lessons for other countries seeking to keep trade corridors open despite deteriorating security conditions.
Why Tomato Traders Are Concerned
Ghana relies heavily on Burkina Faso for fresh tomatoes, with annual imports valued at more than $22 million.
The trade became even more important after Burkina Faso lifted a ban on tomato exports in April. The decision allowed Ghanaian importers to resume commercial activity after restrictions had been introduced to support the country’s domestic processing industry.
However, the reopening of the trade corridor has also exposed Ghanaian traders to renewed security risks.
Earlier this year, a jihadist attack reportedly killed eight Ghanaian traders. The incident heightened concerns among businesses whose operations require frequent movement across the Ghana Burkina Faso border.
For traders, security is not simply a defence issue. It directly affects transportation costs, insurance exposure, delivery schedules, inventory losses and ultimately the price consumers pay for food.
A functioning military escort system could reduce some of these risks and make cross border transportation more predictable.
But the policy could face significant operational challenges.
The Military Capacity Question
Burkina Faso’s armed forces are already fighting jihadist groups across several fronts. Deploying additional troops, vehicles and logistical resources to escort commercial convoys could place further pressure on an already stretched security system.
There is also a strategic concern.
Large groups of traders travelling under military protection could become attractive targets for militants, particularly members of Jama’at Nusrat al Islam wal Muslimin, commonly known as JNIM, which operates across parts of the Sahel and southern Burkina Faso.
The challenge for authorities will therefore be to balance visibility with security. A heavy military presence could deter attacks, but predictable convoy movements could also create identifiable targets if intelligence and route planning are inadequate.
Ghana’s Northern Security Is Also at Stake
Ghana has so far avoided a direct jihadist attack on its territory, but authorities have increasingly focused on the security of the country’s northern borders.
Security concerns have grown amid reports that militants linked to JNIM could use Ghanaian territory as a refuge or transit route for moving supplies.
Ghana has responded by strengthening its military presence along parts of its northern frontier.
The security agreement with Burkina Faso could therefore serve a broader purpose beyond protecting tomato traders. Better intelligence sharing and coordinated security operations could help Ghana detect potential threats before they reach deeper into its territory.
For businesses, however, the immediate priority remains straightforward. Traders want to know how the promised protection will work, who will provide it, which routes will be covered and what happens when commercial destinations are located inside designated danger zones.
Implementation Will Determine Success
The biggest test for the Ghana Burkina Faso security agreement will not be the signing ceremony. It will be execution.
Funding will be critical. So will coordination between military authorities, border agencies, local officials, transport operators and trader associations.
The governments will also need to establish clear procedures for requesting escorts, identifying approved routes, communicating security alerts and responding to attacks or emergencies.
For Ghanaian traders, consultation will be equally important. The concerns raised by the Ghana National Tomatoes Traders and Transporters Association suggest that businesses operating along the corridor want more information before placing full confidence in the new arrangement.
The agreement represents an important attempt to protect one of West Africa’s key food trade routes at a time when insecurity is reshaping regional commerce.
Its success, however, will depend on whether the security guarantees can move from government policy into reliable protection on the ground.
For Ghanaian tomato traders, that distinction could determine whether the agreement becomes a genuine trade facilitation mechanism or another security promise that struggles to reach the realities of the road.
