Latest news with #Z9
Al-Ahram Weekly
2 days ago
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Egypt condoles Ghana over victims of helicopter crash in Ashanti region - Foreign Affairs
Egypt extended Friday its deepest condolences to Ghana amid a helicopter crash in the southern Ashanti region, which claimed the lives of all eight people on board, among them the defense and environment ministers. Related Two Ghana ministers killed in helicopter crash According to a statement by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, Egypt expressed its full solidarity with Ghana, extending its condolences to the victims' families. On Wednesday, a Z9 air force helicopter, carrying three crew and five passengers, went down in a forest in the south while en route to an event on illegal mining, a major environmental issue in the West African country. Ghana's Defence Minister, Edward Omane Boamah and Environment Minister, Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed were both killed in the crash. The Ghanaian Armed Forces said investigations had been launched to determine the cause of the crash. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
The Citizen
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Citizen
Two Ghana ministers killed in helicopter crash
Ghana's defence and environment ministers were killed in a military helicopter crash en route to a mining-related event. Ghana's defence and environment ministers were killed in a military helicopter crash Wednesday, the presidency said, after the air force chopper carrying three crew and five passengers came down in a forest in the south. Television station Joy News broadcast cell phone footage from the crash scene showing smouldering wreckage in a heavily forested area earlier in the day, before it was revealed that ministers Edward Omane Boamah and Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed were among the dead. Boamah became President John Mahama's defence minister shortly after Mahama's swearing-in in January. Muhammed, 50, was serving as the minister of environment, science and technology. He had been scheduled to attend the UN talks currently underway in Geneva aimed at hammering out a landmark global treaty on combating the scourge of plastic pollution. ALSO READ: Businessman steps in to clarify helipad saga Ghanaian media reported that the helicopter was on its way to an event on illegal mining — a major environmental issue in the west African country. Everyone on board was killed in the accident in the southern Ashanti region, authorities said. 'The president and government extend our condolences and sympathies to the families of our comrades and the servicemen who died in service to the country,' said Mahama's chief of staff Julius Debrah. The Ghanaian Armed Forces said investigations had been launched to determine the cause of the crash of the Z9 helicopter. The military had reported earlier Wednesday that an air force helicopter had dropped off the radar after taking off from Accra just after 9:00 am local time (0900 GMT). It had been headed towards the town of Obuasi, northwest of the capital. ALSO READ: Siemens executive, family among six killed in New York helicopter crash Ministers' challenges Alhaji Muniru Mohammed, Ghana's deputy national security coordinator and former agriculture minister, was also among the dead, along with Samuel Sarpong, vice chairman of Mahama's National Democratic Congress party. Boamah was leading Ghana's defence ministry at a time when jihadist activity across its northern border in Burkina Faso has become increasingly volatile. While Ghana has so far avoided a jihadist spillover from the Sahel — unlike neighbours Togo and Benin — observers have warned of increased arms trafficking and of militants from Burkina Faso crossing the porous border to use Ghana as a rear base. A medical doctor by training, Boamah's career in government included stints as communications minister during Mahama's previous 2012-2017 tenure. Before that, he was the deputy minister for environment. Muhammed, the environment minister, was at the helm as the country battles illegal, informal gold mining that has ravaged farmlands and contaminated water. ALSO READ: Investigators recover plane black boxes from Washington air collision 'Galamsey', as the practice is locally known, has been threatening cocoa production in particular and became a major issue in the election that saw Mahama elected last year. The establishment earlier this year of the Ghana Gold Board and the banning of foreigners from the local gold trade were seen as the first concrete signs of a crackdown on the practice by the new administration. Muhammed was a 'committed environmentalist' and 'deeply respected' by peers in Africa and globally, said UNEP Executive director Inger Andersen in Geneva, in a statement. Only a few weeks ago the minister was elected to be a member of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) in Nairobi, said Andersen. Condolence messages also came from the ECOWAS and Africa Union chiefs. ALSO READ: Bodies pulled from Washington river after plane collides with helicopter Regional tensions Boamah led a delegation to Ouagadougou in May as Ghana pursued increased diplomacy with Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger — all ruled by juntas who have broken with the west African regional bloc ECOWAS. He had been set to release a book titled 'A Peaceful Man in an African Democracy', about former president John Atta Mills, who died in 2012. President Mahama suspended all his scheduled activities for the rest of the week and declared three days of mourning starting Thursday with all flags to be flown at half-mast, his office said. – By: © Agence France-Presse
Al-Ahram Weekly
4 days ago
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Two Ghana ministers killed in helicopter crash - Africa
Ghana's defence and environment ministers were killed in a military helicopter crash Wednesday, the presidency said, after the air force chopper carrying three crew and five passengers came down in a forest in the south. Television station Joy News broadcast cell phone footage from the crash scene showing smouldering wreckage in a heavily forested area earlier in the day, before it was revealed that ministers Edward Omane Boamah and Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed were among the dead. Boamah became President John Mahama's defence minister shortly after Mahama's swearing-in in January. Muhammed, 50, was serving as the minister of environment, science and technology. He had been scheduled to attend the UN talks currently underway in Geneva aimed at hammering out a landmark global treaty on combating the scourge of plastic pollution. Ghanaian media reported that the helicopter was on its way to an event on illegal mining -- a major environmental issue in the West African country. Everyone on board was killed in the accident in the southern Ashanti region, authorities said. "The president and government extend our condolences and sympathies to the families of our comrades and the servicemen who died in service to the country," said Mahama's chief of staff, Julius Debrah. The Ghanaian Armed Forces said investigations had been launched to determine the cause of the crash of the Z9 helicopter. The military had reported earlier Wednesday that an air force helicopter had dropped off the radar after taking off from Accra just after 9:00 am local time (0900 GMT). It had been headed towards the town of Obuasi, northwest of the capital. - Ministers' challenges - Alhaji Muniru Mohammed, Ghana's deputy national security coordinator and former agriculture minister, was also among the dead, along with Samuel Sarpong, vice chairman of Mahama's National Democratic Congress party. Boamah was leading Ghana's defence ministry at a time when jihadist activity across its northern border in Burkina Faso has become increasingly volatile. While Ghana has so far avoided a jihadist spillover from the Sahel -- unlike neighbours Togo and Benin -- observers have warned of increased arms trafficking and of militants from Burkina Faso crossing the porous border to use Ghana as a rear base. A medical doctor by training, Boamah's career in government included stints as communications minister during Mahama's previous 2012-2017 tenure. Before that, he was the deputy minister for environment. Muhammed, the environment minister, was at the helm as the country battles illegal, informal gold mining that has ravaged farmlands and contaminated water. "Galamsey", as the practice is locally known, has been threatening cocoa production in particular and has become a major issue in the election that saw Mahama elected last year. The establishment earlier this year of the Ghana Gold Board and the banning of foreigners from the local gold trade were seen as the first concrete signs of a crackdown on the practice by the new administration. Muhammed was a "committed environmentalist" and "deeply respected" by peers in Africa and globally, said UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen in Geneva, in a statement. Only a few weeks ago, the minister was elected to be a member of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) in Nairobi, said Andersen. Condolence messages also came from the ECOWAS and the African Union chiefs. - Regional tensions - Boamah led a delegation to Ouagadougou in May as Ghana pursued increased diplomacy with Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger -- all ruled by juntas who have broken with the West African regional bloc ECOWAS. He had been set to release a book titled "A Peaceful Man in an African Democracy", about former president John Atta Mills, who died in 2012. President Mahama suspended all his scheduled activities for the rest of the week and declared three days of mourning starting Thursday, with all flags to be flown at half-mast, his office said. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Dubai Eye
4 days ago
- Politics
- Dubai Eye
Ghana defence minister among eight killed in helicopter crash
Ghana's Defence Minister Edward Omane Boamah died in a military helicopter crash on Wednesday along with four other officials and three airforce crew, the government said. Julius Debrah, President John Mahama's chief of staff, told a press conference that the crash in which Boamah, Environment, Science and Technology Minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed and others were killed was a national tragedy. "The president and government extend our condolences and sympathies to the families of our comrades and the servicemen who died in service to the country," Debrah said. Authorities did not immediately give an explanation for what might have caused the crash. Earlier Ghana's armed forces said radar contact had been lost with a Z9 airforce helicopter. Boamah, a former communications minister, was tapped to serve as defence minister in January after Mahama returned to power. His replacement will take on a complex security file that includes both external and internal threats. Like other coastal West African countries, Ghana faces threats from Islamist groups active in the Sahel that have tried to push south from landlocked Burkina Faso and Mali where they stage frequent deadly attacks. A spokesperson for Mahama said last month that Ghana had deployed more soldiers to a northeastern region where a long-running conflict over chieftancy has fuelled recent violence, including attacks on schools.
TimesLIVE
4 days ago
- Politics
- TimesLIVE
Two Ghanaian ministers among eight killed in helicopter crash
Ghana's defence minister Edward Omane Boamah died in a military helicopter crash on Wednesday along with four other officials and three airforce crew, the government said. Julius Debrah, President John Mahama's chief of staff, told a press conference that the crash in which Boamah, environment, science & technology minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed and others were killed was a national tragedy. "The president and government extend our condolences and sympathies to the families of our comrades and the servicemen who died in service to the country," Debrah said. Authorities did not immediately give an explanation for what might have caused the crash. Earlier Ghana's armed forces said radar contact had been lost with a Z9 airforce helicopter.
