Ghana signed the Mine Ban Treaty on 4 December
1997, but has yet to ratify it. A top Ghanaian Army officer who was involved in
the Oslo treaty negotiations has explained that there was no political reason
for holding up ratification and he believes that parliamentary time will be
allocated for ratification before the end of
1999.[1]
Ghana supported the Ottawa Process by endorsing the Brussels declaration,
attending the Oslo treaty negotiations as a full participant and by supporting
key resolutions on landmines in both the UN General Assembly and the
Organization of African Unity. The All African Students Union and the
non-governmental Green Earth Organisation lobbied the government on landmine
issues and participate in the International Campaign to Ban Landmines.
Ghana has not produced or exported antipersonnel mines. The Ghanaian Armed
Forces do not stockpile AP
mines.[2] Ghana serves in ECOMOG,
whose forces have used mines in the past; the implications of this for a treaty
signatory need to be explored.