Assistant Secretary of War Daniel Zimmerman and U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) Deputy Commander Lieutenant General John Brennan concluded an official visit to Ghana from August 6 to August 8, 2026, aimed at reinforcing bilateral security cooperation between the United States and Ghana.
The engagement in Accra followed the delegation’s participation in the second Joint Angolan-American Defence Cooperation Committee (DEFCOM) meeting held in Luanda, Angola, on August 5–6.
During their stay, Assistant Secretary Zimmerman and Lt. Gen. Brennan met with high-ranking Ghanaian leadership to discuss joint initiatives focused on enhancing national sovereignty, maritime domain awareness, border protection and regional security capabilities across West Africa. The visit builds upon high-level security dialogues conducted earlier in the year by commanders from USAFRICOM and U.S. Naval Forces Africa.
Assistant Secretary Zimmerman highlighted the United States’ commitment to collaborating with the Ghana Armed Forces to strengthen defence capabilities and address shared security threats.
U.S. Chargé d’Affaires a.i. Rolf Olson emphasized that the talks reflect a broader operational relationship, which includes co-hosting land and maritime defence summits, participating in joint multinational exercises and conducting civil-military programs. Olson also noted concurrent visits by delegations from the Naval Medical Research Unit and the Africa Centre for Strategic Studies aimed at expanding medical readiness and professional military education.
