Where Is War

Is there a war in Ghana?

Yes. UCDP lists 3 active armed conflicts with fighting recorded in Ghana.

1 of them at war level (1,000+ deaths in a year). Largest: Burkina Faso: Government (mainly in Burkina Faso), 2,939 deaths in 2025.

Updated 30 October 2026 · UCDP data through 30 September 2026 · View on map →

Deaths recorded in Ghana in 2025

0in state-based fighting
98in fighting between armed groups
0in attacks on civilians (one-sided violence)

UCDP GED Global 26.1: best estimates for events located in Ghana (as UCDP places them), by type of violence. The three are shown separately, as UCDP counts them, and are not added together here.

The conflicts

Each conflict as UCDP defines it: a dispute with at least 25 battle-related deaths in a year. Figures are UCDP best estimates; the newest months are preliminary and can change. UCDP does not record who started each clash.

War levelState-based conflict · UCDP start year 1987

Burkina Faso: Government

2,939deaths in 2025UCDP Battle-Related Deaths Dataset 26.1 (conflict level)
1,781deaths in Jan–Sep 2026preliminary · UCDP Candidate Events Dataset 26.01.26.09
12,290total 2018–2025sum of the UCDP yearly figures below (8 years listed)

Who is fighting: Government of Burkina Faso vs JNIM

1989: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)1990: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)1991: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)1992: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)1993: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)1994: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)1995: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)1996: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)1997: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)1998: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)1999: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2000: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2001: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2002: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2003: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2004: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2005: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2006: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2007: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2008: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2009: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2010: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2011: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2012: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2013: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2014: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2015: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2016: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2017: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2018: 792019: 2712020: 3522021: 8212022: 1,7032023: 3,9892024: 2,1362025: 2,9392026: 1,781 (Jan–Sep 2026, preliminary)
1989highest: 3,9892026*

* Jan–Sep 2026, preliminary (hatched). Grey: year not in the dataset (UCDP lists a conflict-year only with at least 25 deaths).

Latest recorded fighting: September 2026

Conflict-wide figures (not only Ghana). Also recorded in: Burkina Faso.

Figures by year
YearDeaths (best estimate)
Jan–Sep 2026 preliminary1,781
20252,939
20242,136
20233,989
20221,703
2021821
2020352
2019271
201879

UCDP conflict page · CrisisWatch: Burkina Faso · War WATCH (legal classification) · View on map →

Armed conflictNon-state conflict (between armed groups) · UCDP start year 2000

Kusasi - Mamprusi

67deaths in 2025UCDP Non-State Conflict Dataset 26.1
8deaths in Jan–Sep 2026preliminary · UCDP Candidate Events Dataset 26.01.26.09
232total 2000–2025sum of the UCDP yearly figures below (5 years listed)

Who is fighting: Kusasi vs Mamprusi

2000: 302001: 502002: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2003: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2004: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2005: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2006: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2007: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2008: 552009: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2010: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2011: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2012: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2013: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2014: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2015: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2016: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2017: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2018: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2019: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2020: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2021: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2022: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2023: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2024: 302025: 672026: 8 (Jan–Sep 2026, preliminary)
2000highest: 672026*

* Jan–Sep 2026, preliminary (hatched). Grey: year not in the dataset (UCDP lists a conflict-year only with at least 25 deaths).

Latest recorded fighting: May 2026

Figures by year
YearDeaths (best estimate)
Jan–Sep 2026 preliminary8
202567
202430
200855
200150
200030

UCDP conflict page · CrisisWatch: Ghana · View on map →

Armed conflictNon-state conflict (between armed groups) · UCDP start year 2025

Birifor - Gonja

31deaths in 2025UCDP Non-State Conflict Dataset 26.1

Who is fighting: Birifor vs Gonja

2025: 31
2025highest: 312025

Grey: year not in the dataset (UCDP lists a conflict-year only with at least 25 deaths).

Latest recorded fighting: August 2025

Figures by year
YearDeaths (best estimate)
202531

UCDP conflict page · CrisisWatch: Ghana · View on map →

Military personnel

16,000own armed forces (2020)World Bank / IISS · active + paramilitary

Foreign military personnel in Ghana

United States22

assigned · 31 Aug 2026 · DoD DMDC

Other countries may have forces here; only official, reusable figures are shown.

Other countries with active armed conflicts in Africa

AngolaBeninBurkina FasoBurundiCameroonCentral African RepublicChadDR CongoEthiopiaKenyaMaliMozambiqueNigerNigeriaRwandaSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth SudanSudanTogo

All countries →

Sources and licences