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Ghana’s Defense Minister, Edward Omane Boamah, died in a military helicopter crash on Wednesday, along with four other officials and three air force personnel, according to the government.
Julius Debrah, President John Mahama’s chief of staff, announced during a press conference that the crash, which claimed the lives of Boamah, Environment, Science, and Technology Minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, and others, was a national tragedy.
The office of President Mahama described the incident as a national tragedy; the deaths of the environment, science, and technology minister and others are deeply mourned.
Debrah conveyed the government’s condolences and sympathies to the families of the fallen servicemen and colleagues who lost their lives while serving the country.
Authorities have not yet provided an official explanation for the cause of the crash.
Earlier, Ghana’s armed forces stated that radar contact had been lost with a Z9 military helicopter.
Boamah, who previously served as communications minister, was appointed defense minister in January after Mahama returned to power. His successor will handle a complicated security portfolio that includes both external and internal threats.
Like other West African coastal nations, Ghana faces threats from Islamist groups operating in the Sahel region, particularly those attempting to advance southward from Burkina Faso and Mali—areas plagued with frequent deadly attacks.
A spokesperson for Mahama indicated last month that Ghana had increased troop deployments to a northeastern region affected by ongoing conflicts over chieftaincy, which have recently sparked violence, including attacks on schools.
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