Renowned peacebuilding expert Emmanuel Bombande says Ghana’s consistent stance of neutrality and mediation in global crises, such as the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, is rooted in the country’s deep understanding that instability anywhere threatens its national development vision.
Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Tuesday, June 17, he stressed that Ghana’s abstention from inflammatory geopolitical postures is not passive indecision, but rather a strategic foreign policy rooted in post-independence realism.
“Our foreign policy, from the beginning, was shaped by the reality that when there is instability globally, it directly impacts our capacity to attain our vision of economic development,” the former Deputy Foreign Minister said.
His comments came days after Israel launched a series of coordinated military strikes on Iran, targeting high-level government and military installations.
The conflict, he warned, is a stark reminder of how wars in far-flung regions can undermine stability in Africa, especially in economies like Ghana’s that are heavily interlinked with global markets.
“We are a developing country, and so is much of Africa. You do not want destabilisation across the global landscape that now puts pressure on your capacity to pursue your national vision,” Mr Bombande argued.
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He insisted that Ghana’s role in international diplomacy is not about fence-sitting or hedging bets.
Rather, it is about creating space for dialogue and ensuring that Ghana’s growth trajectory isn’t derailed by conflicts that spike commodity prices, disrupt trade, and diminish investor confidence.
“Basically, the antecedents of our foreign policy are built on positive neutrality. When there is a global crisis, Ghana wants to mediate and be an intermediary,” he said.
Mr Bombande was candid about the complexities of modern diplomacy, particularly in the Middle East. He criticised the weaponisation of victimhood by powerful states that refuse to accept responsibility while demanding global sympathy.
“There’s a sense of entitlement in the aggressor always positioning themselves as the victim. They’re not ready to see it the other way around,” he remarked.
But he deliberately avoided wading deep into that political thicket, choosing instead to return to what he called “the Ghanaian doctrine of stability-first diplomacy.”
That doctrine, he said, is not simply moral—it is pragmatic and essential for a country emerging from recent economic turbulence.
“We are coming out of a situation where the economist will tell you, we’re beginning to look on the brighter side. Some of our indicators are being upgraded,” he noted.
“The last thing we need is the type of instability that now draws us back to where we came from—where we do not want to be.”
Mr Bombande reiterated that Ghana’s silence in moments of global crisis is not indifference—it is a calculated pause for peace.
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