{"id":2000104968,"date":"2026-03-10T17:23:51","date_gmt":"2026-03-10T15:23:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/?p=2000104968"},"modified":"2026-03-10T17:28:36","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T15:28:36","slug":"ghana-marks-69th-independence-anniversary-in-kigali-pledges-stronger-ties-with-rwanda","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/ghana-marks-69th-independence-anniversary-in-kigali-pledges-stronger-ties-with-rwanda\/","title":{"rendered":"Ghana marks 69th Independence Anniversary in Kigali, pledges stronger ties with Rwanda"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The event, held at M-Hotel, was the first such reception organized by the High Commission since its establishment in Rwanda in September 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It brought together diplomats, Rwandan government officials, members of the Ghanaian community and their friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking at the ceremony, Ghana\u2019s resident High Commissioner to Rwanda, Ernest Yaw Amporful noted that the presence of members of the diplomatic corps and officials reflected the strong ties between Ghana, Rwanda and the wider international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reflecting on Ghana\u2019s history, the ambassador recalled that the country became the first sub-Saharan African nation to gain independence from colonial rule on March 6, 1957 under the leadership of Kwame Nkrumah, a moment that inspired liberation movements across the continent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nkrumah’s vision of Pan-African unity and his declaration that “Ghana’s independence is meaningless unless it is linked with the total liberation of the African continent” transformed the country into a hub and beacon of hope for freedom movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSixty-Nine years ago, Ghana blazed the trail as the first sub-Saharan African nation to break free from colonial rule, igniting a flame of freedom and self-determination across our continent,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amb. Amporful said Ghana remains committed to democracy, peace and sustainable development, adding that the country continues to pursue economic transformation through new initiatives led by President John Dramani Mahama.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis year’s celebration is anchored on the theme, \u2018Building Prosperity, Restoring Hope\u2019, a theme that speaks not only to Ghana’s aspirations but also to the collective yearning of Africa for economic transformation and a future of dignity and opportunity for all,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also emphasized the historical bond between Ghana and Rwanda, recalling the role played by Ghanaian peacekeepers during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey protected and saved lives during the Genocide against the Tutsis, even when ordered to withdraw. That act of courage and humanity forged a bond of trust and empathy between our peoples,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ambassador noted that both countries are working toward their first Joint Permanent Commission of Cooperation, aimed at boosting trade, investment and innovation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLet us recommit ourselves to strengthening the bonds of friendship between our nations,\u201d Amb. Amporful said, adding that such cooperation would help build prosperity and restore hope for both peoples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amb. Amporful also paid tribute to women, noting that the celebration came just a day after the world marked International Women\u2019s Day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe prosperity of our nations and the hope of our continent rest upon the empowerment of women and girls, whose voices must be heard, whose rights must be protected, and whose dreams must be nurtured,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking at the reception, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Fidelis Mironko, congratulated the government and people of Ghana on their 69th Independence Day and reflected on the broader meaning of such anniversaries.
\u201cI like to think of Independence Day as a call to action for the future. It is a reminder that the courage of our forebears must be matched by our determination today,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amb. Mironko noted that the challenges facing the world today, including climate change, economic shocks and global uncertainty, require countries to work together with unity and strong leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs sister nations, Rwanda and Ghana will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder in advancing our shared vision of an Africa that is self-reliant, innovative, and globally competitive,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rwanda and Ghana share long-standing relations that have grown over the years through cooperation in areas such as trade, defence and security, tourism, technology, culture and parliamentary exchanges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The partnership also carries a strong historical dimension. In 1994, Ghanaian peacekeepers serving under the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR) were among the few who remained in the country to help protect civilians during the Genocide against the Tutsi, despite orders to withdraw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Diplomatic ties have since deepened. Rwanda opened a resident High Commission in Accra in 2020 to strengthen political and economic cooperation, while Ghana established its High Commission in Kigali in 2024, marking another step in reinforcing relations between the two countries<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
High Commissioner Amporful and Permanent Secretary in MINAFFET, Amb. Mironko pose together at the reception, symbolizing the strong ties between Ghana and Rwanda.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
High Commissioner Ernest Yaw Amporful and Permanent Secretary Fidelis Mironko toast to Ghana\u2019s 69th Independence Anniversary at the Kigali reception on March 9, 2026.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
High Commissioner Amporful with Rwanda\u2019s Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Fidelis Mironko, during the Independence Day reception at M-Hotel.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Permanent Secretary Fidelis Mironko congratulated Ghana on its 69th Independence Day, emphasizing the importance of unity and shared action for Africa\u2019s future.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ghana\u2019s High Commission in Rwanda on Monday, March 9, 2026, hosted a reception in Kigali to celebrate the country\u2019s 69th Independence Anniversary, with officials also reaffirming the strong ties between Ghana and Rwanda.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2000104973,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[48],"tags":[151,69],"byline":[160],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-2000104968","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics-48","tag-editors-choice","tag-homehighlights","byline-theophile-niyitegeka"],"bylines":[{"id":160,"name":"Th\u00e9ophile Niyitegeka","slug":"theophile-niyitegeka","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":3}],"contributors":[{"id":160,"name":"Th\u00e9ophile Niyitegeka","slug":"theophile-niyitegeka","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":3}],"featured_image":{"id":2000104973,"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/hgt.jpeg","alt":"","caption":"High Commissioner Amporful with Rwanda\u2019s Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Fidelis Mironko, during the Independence Day reception at M-Hotel.","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","width":4096,"height":3165,"sizes":{"thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/hgt.jpeg","width":150,"height":116},"medium":{"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/hgt.jpeg","width":300,"height":232},"medium_large":{"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/hgt.jpeg","width":768,"height":593},"large":{"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/hgt.jpeg","width":1024,"height":791},"full":{"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/hgt.jpeg","width":4096,"height":3165}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000104968","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2000104968"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000104968\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2000104980,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000104968\/revisions\/2000104980"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2000104973"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2000104968"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2000104968"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2000104968"},{"taxonomy":"byline","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/byline?post=2000104968"},{"taxonomy":"hashtag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hashtag?post=2000104968"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}