GHANA-BURKINA-TOGO-BENIN-ICOAST-UNREST

A man walks through the border from Burkina Faso to Ghana in Paga, northern Ghana, on December 6, 2022. - Ghana along with Gulf of Guinea neighbours Benin, Togo and Ivory Coast are fast becoming the new frontline in the Sahel jihadist war ravaging their northern neighbour. Togo, Benin and Ivory Coast have already been struck by gunmen from across their northern borders - most recently in Benin, whose government has reported 20 armed incursions since 2021. So far Ghana has escaped a direct attack, but it is already tackling the economic and social fallout from the conflict to its north. Ghana struggles with porous borders, a weak state presence in the north, chronic smuggling and intercommunal tensions that are a breeding ground for jihadism, say local leaders, officials and experts. (Photo by Nipah Dennis / AFP) (Photo by NIPAH DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images)