The reaffirmation of the Ghana-Togo international land boundary has commenced in the Oti Region, with a call on residents and other stakeholders to provide the needed support to facilitate the exercise.
The National Coordinator of the Ghana Boundary Commission (GhBC), Major General Dr Emmanuel Kotia, who made the call, said support was required to ensure that the residents understood the exercise and its significance to the two countries.
“We require the support of the traditional rulers, community leaders, civil society and opinion leaders, media and all residents living along the boundary lines to assist us in identifying some of the pillars that have been tampered with or removed.
“We will also be happy to get historical information on the boundary pillars or lines to help facilitate the process,” he added.
The coordinator was speaking at the launch of a joint sensitisation and reaffirmation exercise at Likpe Mate in the Oti Region.
Sensitisation exercise
The sensitisation exercise, which was organised by the commission, sought to inform and educate local communities and opinion leaders at Likpe and its environs about the exercise.
A similar engagement was also held in an adjacent town in the Togolese territory by the National Land Boundary Commission of Togo.
The event was attended by the Oti Regional Minister, Joshua Makubu; the Member of Parliament for Buem, Kofi Adams; the District Chief Executive (DCE) of Guan, Janet Emefa Obro-Adibo, and the Chief of Likpe Mate, Nana Oforitey Dzahene III.
A boundary pillar was constructed in 1929 and reaffirmed in 1977
There were also representatives from the Togo Territorial Boundaries agency and other stakeholders from both countries.
The fourth phase of the Ghana-Togo reaffirmation exercise, which started on Friday, January 26, 2024, will run for the next three weeks.
It will continue from Wli Afegame in the Volta Region to Kpassa in the Oti Region, covering 170 kilometres.
The exercise commenced in 2022 from Aflao in the Volta Region and moved in phases until the current location at Wli Afegame.
In the end, the country would have covered a total of 450 kilometres out of the 906-kilometre boundary land between Ghana and Togo.
It is intended to verify and establish clear and legally binding boundaries for both countries to resolve any disputes while ensuring compliance with international law.
It will also lead to the replacement of displaced, damaged and missing pillars to reconstruct the boundary pillars or markings defining the land boundaries between the two neighbouring countries.
The ongoing reaffirmation also sought to modernise land records, ensure alignment with local and international regulation and foster peaceful co-existence, cross-border cooperation and communication among relevant stakeholders.
The construction of the worn-out pillars will be done with funding from the German Development Agency (GIZ) through the African Union Border Programme (AUBP) as the implementing agency.
Approach
The Oti Regional Minister said the exercise must be approached with open minds and a sense of commitment to unity.
“Let us not only reaffirm our geographical boundaries but also recommit ourselves to being good neighbours, loyal friends and responsible citizens to one another,” he added.
The Guan DCE reminded the people that “we and Togolese are related in diverse ways despite the demarcations: Landmark boundary is not a recipe for hostile segregation”.
For his part, Mr Adams said residents along the boundaries within the Oti Region had expressed commitment to ensure the success of the exercise.
Source: graphic.com.gh