Sierra Leone’s President and ECOWAS Chairman, Julius Maada Bio, has traveled to Ghana to stand in solidarity with President John Dramani Mahama and the Ghanaian people following a tragic helicopter crash that claimed the lives of eight senior officials.

The visit was originally part of President Bio’s first regional tour as ECOWAS Chairman, but the mission changed after the crash on 6 August 2025. The helicopter, en route to Obuasi in the Ashanti Region for an anti-illegal mining operation, went down, killing Ghana’s Minister of Defence, Edward Omane Boamah; Minister of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation, Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed; and six other high-ranking government and military officers.

On August 8, President Bio visited Jubilee House, where he laid a wreath and signed the condolence book in honor of the victims. He expressed deep sympathy on behalf of Sierra Leone and the ECOWAS community, urging Ghanaians to find comfort in their faith and offering continued support during this difficult time.

President Mahama thanked President Bio for adjusting his schedule to visit despite the tragic circumstances, describing the gesture as a strong show of unity and regional brotherhood. He also shared that preparations for the state funerals were underway and emphasized the government’s commitment to a full investigation into the crash to help prevent future tragedies.

The disaster has left Ghana in a period of national mourning, with flags flying at half-mast across the country. President Bio’s visit was widely seen as a powerful reminder of the solidarity and shared resilience among ECOWAS member states.