Israel re-opened its embassy in Ghana on Wednesday, after 38 years without an official ambassadorial presence in the African country. Sharon Bar-Li, Israel's new ambassador in Accra, the Ghanaian capital, gave her confirmation letter from President Shimon Peres to Ghanaian President John Atta Mills last week during an official ceremony. During the service, the name Israel was drummed on talking drums, the traditional West African method of relaying messages. Congratulations on your appointment. We are extremely delighted at last that Israel has opened an embassy in Ghana and you have been appointed as the first ambassador. Be assured of our fullest cooperation and collaboration, Mills said. Ghana has a lot to learn from Israel for its track record, and the two nations will collaborate and learn from each other for their mutual benefit, a release on Ghana's official government website said on Friday. During her speech, Bar-Li said it was a historic moment for the two countries. The appointment followed a visit by Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman to Ghana in September 2009 and his decision to re-open the embassy. Ghana was the first African country to recognize Israel in 1956, but ties broke down after significant Arab pressure following the Yom Kippur War in 1973. According to the government release, Ghana plans on opening an embassy in Israel in the near future. Israel's ties with Africa have improved in recent months with South Sudan's newly found independence and their declaration to open an embassy in Jerusalem. Israel currently has 10 embassies in Africa.
