When President Mills announced in January 2011 that his personal philosophy known as mind your own business supersedes national interest, many questioned the relevance to Ghana. What he termed 'Dzi wo fie asem' created much furore but his die hard spinning including his Foreign Minister attempted unconvincingly to justify the infantile pronouncement. Since the policy sought to state that Ghana should recoil into her shell instead of taking her leadership role as she has been known since independence, some pundits mistakenly presumed the country was losing out her position on the African continent.
As they say, coming events cast their shadows. The infantile 'mind your own business' policy was a mere charade for his clandestine support for the beleaguered Laurent Gbagbo failed big time. The cost of that diplomatic blunder is the skirmish Ghana is facing regarding her crude oil rich maritime boundary with Ivory Coast.
This blunder has already resulted in the redrawing and claiming of portions of Ghana's Jubilee Oil Field is forcing potential exploration works to be held back.
Regrettably, it appears the President has learned no lessons from the uproar that silly decision and pronouncement caused the people of Ghana. Just even before that issue could be sorted out properly, President Mills has again committed another unpardonable diplomatic gaffe by recognising tiny break-away Kosovo for only God knows whatever reason. Sounding weird rather than rational, the Foreign Minister told Parliament in a statement he read that 'the long standing cordial relations between Ghana and Serbia, which dates back to the days of the former Yugoslavia can now be based more on political considerations, rather than on mutually beneficial economic interests.” Following the decision of the Ghana Government to recognise Kosovo, the Serbian authorities have asked Ghana's Ambassador in Belgrade to return home and consult with the Ghana Government to reverse the recognition,” the Minister said.
Serbia has booted Samuel Valis-Akyianu, Ghana's Ambassador to Serbia, out of the country after a major diplomatic row.
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| Dismissed Ambassador Samuel Valis-Akyianu heading for Ghana |
The Foreign Affairs Minister, Alhaji Mohammed Mumuni, told Parliament on Wednesday the hitherto “cordial relations” between the two countries suffered serious bruises after Ghana recognised break-away Kosovo in the former Yugoslavia as an independent state.
Following the row, angry Serbian authorities sent Ambassador Valis-Akyianu packing in an attempt to mount pressure on Accra to reverse its decision to recognise neighbouring Kosovo, which declared independence in 2008, a decade after a bloody separatist war with Serbian forces that claimed 10,000 lives.
Beyond announcing the order to close Ghana's mission in Belgrade, the Minister did not say if Valis-Akyianu is to be reassigned.
He added: “Moreover, the Serbian Government has requested its Honorary Consulate in Accra to be closed down.”
“The reaction of the Serbian Government to Ghana's recognition of Kosovo leaves us with no better choice than to order the complete closure of our mission in Belgrade,” Alhaji Mumuni said.
“The reaction of the Serbian Government to Ghana's recognition of Kosovo leaves us with no better choice than to order the complete closure of our mission in Belgrade,” Alhaji Mumuni said.
The Foreign Affairs Minister further has announced Cabinet has approved the opening of two new missions to enhance diplomatic and economic relations between Ghana, Turkey and China.
Didn't the Foreign Minister just stated that "Ghana's diplomatic relations can now be based more on political considerations, rather than on mutually beneficial economic interests.” Do Alhaji Mumuni and his president think Ghana is a circus for them to try infantile theories? Are they aware of the African Union (AU) injunction on member nations not to recognise Kosovo? Have they read Dr. Vlamdir Antwi-Danso's article adducing valid reasons why Ghana must never recognise Kosovo? If indeed Atta Mills is living up to his so-called personal philosophy of Dzi wo fie Asem, how come European Union interests are superseding both Ghana's and AU's interests? Isn't it paradoxical that an avowed Nkrumaist is throwing away Nkrumah-Tito legacy on the altar of gaining cheap and short-sighted favour with the EU.
Didn't the Foreign Minister just stated that "Ghana's diplomatic relations can now be based more on political considerations, rather than on mutually beneficial economic interests.” Do Alhaji Mumuni and his president think Ghana is a circus for them to try infantile theories? Are they aware of the African Union (AU) injunction on member nations not to recognise Kosovo? Have they read Dr. Vlamdir Antwi-Danso's article adducing valid reasons why Ghana must never recognise Kosovo? If indeed Atta Mills is living up to his so-called personal philosophy of Dzi wo fie Asem, how come European Union interests are superseding both Ghana's and AU's interests? Isn't it paradoxical that an avowed Nkrumaist is throwing away Nkrumah-Tito legacy on the altar of gaining cheap and short-sighted favour with the EU.
