Former Minister for Lands and Natural Resources and Member of Parliament for Damongo, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has cautioned the government against taking sides in the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict, warning that recent comments by the Foreign Affairs Ministry could “undermine Ghana’s long-standing foreign policy of non-alignment.”
Speaking on behalf of the Minority at a press conference on Wednesday, 24 September 2025, Mr Abu Jinapor said Ghana’s neutrality had been a cornerstone of its foreign policy since independence and must be preserved.
“Ghana has always maintained a respected foreign policy tradition. As President Nkrumah once said, ‘We do not look left or right, we look forward.’ That is why we have remained non-aligned since 1957,” he said.
He criticized the Foreign Minister’s recent comments describing Israel’s actions in Gaza as “genocidal,” arguing that such statements suggest Ghana is “taking sides” in the conflict.
“When the chief diplomat of our country makes comments that are extreme, declaratory, one-sided, or partial, it risks compromising Ghana’s time-tested foreign policy,” he explained. “We must not appear to align with Palestine against Israel, nor with Israel against Palestine. We must remain impartial.”
Mr Jinapor stressed that Ghana’s neutral stance has enabled it to play a respected role in peace-building and diplomacy over the years. “It is because of our non-aligned nature that Ghana has been a leading and trusted voice in global peace efforts,” he said.
When asked whether previous government comments on the Russia-Ukraine war also undermined non-alignment, Mr Jinapor responded: “That is a conversation worth having. If it was wrong then, it is still wrong today. Wrong yesterday, wrong today, and wrong tomorrow.”
He concluded by urging the government to “refrain from statements that appear to compromise Ghana’s neutrality” and to “restore the country’s foreign policy posture as a bridge-builder and impartial actor on the global stage.”