The Former Defence Minister and Member of Parliament for Bimbilla, Dominic Nitiwul, has issued a statement blaming the recent terrorist attack on Ghanaian tomato traders on the government’s diplomatic engagement with Burkina Faso’s leader, Captain Ibrahim Traoré.
In a formal interview on February 18, 2026, Nitiwul argued that the decision to invite the Burkinabe coup maker to the swearing-in ceremony of President John Dramani Mahama sent unintended and dangerous signals to insurgent groups operating in the Sahel.
According to Dominic Nitiwul, the glorification of Captain Traoré has effectively created new enemies for Ghana. He pointed out that between 2018 and 2021, even when terrorism was rampant in Burkina Faso, Ghanaian traders were largely spared. “When they saw that you are a Ghanaian, they allowed you to pass. Why are they attacking Ghanaians now?” he questioned.
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The Bimbilla MP suggested that by cheering a military leader who is actively fighting these insurgent groups, Ghana has inadvertently signaled a loss of neutrality, leading to the targeted February 14 ambush in Titao.
The critique also extended to the administrative handling of the crisis. Nitiwul argued that a substantive Defence Minister should have been on the ground in Burkina Faso to oversee the response, rather than the Interior Minister.
Dominic Nitiwul emphasized that since soldiers were the primary responders in the medevac of survivors to the 37 Military Hospital, the Defence Ministry should have led the investigation. His remarks come as President Mahama visited the survivors on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, to express his condolences for the loss of eight lives.
