Ghana helicopter crash: In a tragic incident that has sent Ghana into mourning, Defence Minister Edward Omane Boamah and Environment Minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed were among eight individuals who died in a helicopter crash on Wednesday. The government has declared the incident a “national tragedy.” According to the Ghana Armed Forces, the Z-9 utility helicopter took off from the capital city, Accra, on Wednesday morning, heading towards Obuasi, a key gold-mining town in the Ashanti region, before it went off radar. The cause of the crash has not yet been determined.
Those on board included the vice-chairperson of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), a top national security adviser, and three Ghana Air Force crew members. Officials confirmed that all eight occupants were killed in the crash. Briefing reporters in Accra, Julius Debrah, Chief of Staff to President John Mahama, said the President and his government are devastated by the loss of high-ranking officials and brave military personnel. “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,” Debrah said solemnly.
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Edward Omane Boamah, a former Minister of Communications, had just been made Defence Minister in January, when President Mahama regained power. He was spearheading major national security operations, particularly along Ghana’s exposed northern border areas, where Sahel-based Islamist groups have been increasingly threatening. Environment, Science, and Technology Minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed was also commended for his efforts in climate resilience and sustainable development, particularly in mining communities.
Ghana Armed Forces confirmed that the Z-9 helicopter, which is most times employed for transportation and medical evacuation, had lost radar contact after taking off. This crash is being referred to as Ghana’s worst air disaster in more than a decade.
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In previous incidents, a service chopper crashed off Ghana’s coast in 2014, killing three. In 2021, a cargo plane overran the runway in Accra and crashed into a bus, leaving at least 10 dead. The tragedy comes at a time when Ghana is stepping up military deployments to its northeastern regions, battling instability caused by long-running chieftaincy conflicts and the risk of Islamist extremist spillovers from neighboring Burkina Faso and Mali. Boamah’s loss will hold back or complicate key defence missions. His replacement will be left to deal with a delicate and growing security mandate.