Top Ghanaian ministers killed in helicopter crash

Ghana is reeling from the loss of several senior officials following a fatal helicopter crash on 6th August, including the country’s defence minister and minister of environment, science and technology, as reported by France 24.

The incident has left a significant leadership gap within President John Mahama‘s government at a time of growing security threats in the region.

According to AP, the crash killed all eight people on board: three crew and five passengers. The military helicopter was traveling from the capital, Accra, towards the city of Obuasi. The aircraft disappeared from radar shortly after 9:00 am, and its wreckage was discovered later in the Adansi area of the Ashanti region.

Among the deceased were Edward Omane Boamah, appointed defence minister earlier this year, and Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, who oversaw the environment portfolio. Also killed were Alhaji Muniru Mohammed, deputy national security coordinator, Samuel Sarpong, vice chairman of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), and Samuel Aboagye, former parliamentary candidate, reported Africanews.

The crew members who lost their lives were Peter Anala, Mane-Twum Ampadu, and Sgt. Ernest Addo Mensah.

President Mahama has declared a three-day national mourning period, according to Africanews. All flags are to be flown at half-staff, and official duties have been suspended, according to statements from the presidency and Chief of Staff Julius Debrah.

The deaths come amid heightened regional instability, particularly along Ghana’s northern border, where militant activity and arms trafficking have increased. These trends have been attributed to the ongoing fallout from unrest in Burkina Faso. While Ghana has remained relatively secure compared to neighbouring Togo and Benin, analysts have warned of its growing exposure to Sahel-based jihadist networks.

Boamah, a medical doctor by training, held various ministerial positions under Mahama’s previous administration. He was recently tasked with leading diplomatic efforts with Sahelian neighbours. In May, he led a government delegation to Ouagadougou for talks with the military-led governments of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, which have severed ties with ECOWAS.

The defence chief had also been working on a book titled “A Peaceful Man in an African Democracy,” focused on the late president John Atta Mills. Its unfinished manuscript adds a poignant layer to a tragedy that has shaken Ghana and sparked a national tragedy.

Crowds gathered at the NDC headquarters and at Boamah’s residence in Accra as condolences poured in from across the country. Debrah said, “The president and government extend our condolences and sympathies to the families of our comrades and the servicemen who died in service to the country.”

Investigations into the crash are ongoing, though no preliminary findings have been released.

France 24, Africanews, AP, Maghrebi