Contemporary security and defence pacts have usually incorporated measures to combat digital threats in the wake of the increased weaponisation of online platforms and digital spaces by bad actors.
Security is no longer limited to traditional defence-related issues, but increasingly encompasses non-traditional security areas, including foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) or hybrid threats, amplified by emerging disruptive technologies.
While the government forms policy and legislative measures through inter-agency efforts to regulate digital spaces, collaboration with other external actors in an increasingly interconnected world is another key aspect in the fight against digital threats.
On March 24, 2026, the European Union (EU) and Ghana signed a Security and Defence Partnership in Accra aimed at strengthening cooperation on peace, security, and defence matters (Read the full pact here).
The agreement is particularly significant as Ghana becomes the first African country to sign a Security and Defence Partnership with the European Union (EU), positioning the country as a key partner in the EU’s expanding security cooperation with non-EU states.
The agreement was signed by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas and Ghana’s Vice President, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang.
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According to VP Opoku-Agyemang, the partnership as signed: “demonstrates the strengthening collaboration between Ghana and the European Union in tackling evolving security challenges especially in our subregion and across the Sahel.”
According to security analyst Richard Kumadoe, “nations all over the world sign various security and defense contracts with others, whether at a regional level or at a global level. What is important is that in the days of disinformation and misinformation, which has the tendency of degenerating into chaos and leading into instability, it is important that politicians or government officials will communicate the terms and the details of the agreement publicly so that the nation will carry it along.”
The partnership expands cooperation beyond traditional defence-related issues to include Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) and Cybersecurity threats, which are the dual focus of this piece.
These areas have become increasingly important as misinformation, disinformation, and cyber threats play a growing role in shaping public opinion and national security.
Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI)
The European External Action Service (EEAS) defines FIMI as: “the intentional and coordinated activities carried out by state or state-linked actors, aimed at manipulating the information environment in a deceptive, misleading, or coercive manner with the objective of undermining public trust, weakening democratic processes, and advancing geopolitical goals.”
The partnership identifies growing interference by both domestic and foreign actors in the information space as a critical threat to stability, social cohesion, and democracy in both Europe and Africa.
To address this, the EU and Ghana plan to strengthen multi-stakeholder cooperation to monitor, respond to and counter information manipulation threats while respecting fundamental freedoms.
Both parties also intend to exchange assessments on information space threats.
This approach recognises that countering information manipulation cannot rely solely on government action. Instead, it requires coordinated efforts with other stakeholders, including civil society and the independent media.
For Ghana, this element of the partnership is particularly relevant as the country continues to deal with misinformation and coordinated online narratives.
Cybersecurity
The partnership also places significant emphasis on strengthening cybersecurity cooperation between both parties. The pact highlights plans to deepen exchanges on the cyber threat landscape, policy frameworks, and opportunities for cyber capacity building.
By focusing on cyber capacity building and technical assistance, the partnership may improve Ghana’s ability to detect, respond to, and recover from cyber incidents.
As Ghana’s digital ecosystem expands, through online public services, national identification systems, and digital financial systems, the risks associated with cyberattacks and digital vulnerabilities continue to grow. Strengthening cybersecurity capabilities could therefore be essential for safeguarding critical systems and maintaining public trust in digital governance.
On the possible risks that such a partnership could present, Kumadoe said: “The major risks is national outlook, identity and sovereignty. We mustn’t compromise on these three, whether we are signing the agreement with the Americans or with the European Union, and whether we are signing some of these security and defense agreements with the global South, the three priority areas must be kept.
“If you look at the defense agreements that we have signed with all other countries over the years, it should be a basis for us to be able to boost on the new ones we are signing that what didn’t work in the past, we need to find out why it didn’t work and where the loopholes are so that we could be up from there,” he added.
Conclusion
The 2026 report of the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report noted that Adverse Outcomes of Artificial Intelligence Technologies was the second biggest risk that Ghana faced, only behind the lack of economic opportunity or employment.
As Ghana wades between legislation and enforcement of existing digital ecosystem laws, there is no doubt that the need to monitor FIMI, cyber threats and other hybrid threats is important at the national, regional and international levels.
Researched by Nusrat Essah and Alfa Shaban
