Ghana’s Defense and Environment Ministers Die in Military Helicopter Crash

Ghana is mourning the loss of two senior cabinet ministers and six others following a fatal military helicopter crash en route to a mining conference in the Ashanti region. Defense Minister Edward Omane Boamah and Environment Minister Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed were among the dead, along with top security and disaster management officials, after the aircraft lost radar contact shortly after departing from the capital, Accra.

Officials Headed to Illegal Mining Conference

According to government spokesman Julius Debrah, the crash occurred Wednesday morning as the helicopter was transporting officials to Obuasi for a gathering on illegal mining. The event was scheduled to include President John Dramani Mahama and aimed to promote responsible mining practices. Obuasi is a key mining hub in Ghana’s gold-rich Ashanti region.

Debrah announced the deaths in a nationally televised address, calling it “a national tragedy.” He ordered that all flags be flown at half-staff until further notice.

The crash killed eight people in total:

• Edward Omane Boamah, Minister of Defense
• Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, Minister of Environment, Science and Technology
• Alhaji Muniru Mohammed, Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator
• Samuel Sarpong, Vice Chair of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC)
• Samuel Aboagye, Deputy Director General of Ghana’s National Disaster Management Organization
• Three military personnel, including the pilot

The Ghana Armed Forces confirmed the deaths in a statement and said investigations are underway to determine the cause of the crash.

Not Ghana’s First Military Aviation Tragedy

This is not the first helicopter-related disaster in the country. Ghana has seen a series of fatal military aviation incidents:

• In 2002, seven people died when a military helicopter crashed during a medical evacuation mission.
• In 2007, a chopper carrying the body of a former defense minister for burial crashed during landing after hitting a telephone pole.
• In 2014, four people were killed in a helicopter crash while being transported to an offshore oil platform.

These recurring incidents have renewed concerns about the safety and maintenance of Ghana’s military aviation fleet.