Ghana’s foreign policy: Some regional and national interests

Abstract

Dr. Kwame Nkrumah`s Non-Aligned policy has been a key variable in Ghana`s foreign policy, and successive regimes after Nhrumah have pursued this policy in various ways. Since its political reforms in 1992, Ghana has established itself as an anchor in political dispensation on the African continent. In the sub-region, Ghana is seen by other countries as a leader by exhibiting its competences and maturity in political change and good governance, and its peacekeeping involvement in the subfield. Whiles Ghana takes credit for these attributes; her response to regional issues has not always been as readily forthcoming as in others. This paper seeks to analyze Ghana`s foreign policy directions in the sub-Saharan region, and ECOWAS. How consistence or inconsistence has Ghana been, in the implementation of foreign policy objectives within the ECOWAS, between the periods of 1992-2016. The paper leads the hypothesis that, lack of a well-defined and articulated defence policy document has somewhat resulted in inconsistencies in responding to crises in the region.