Ghana and Burkina Faso have vowed to fight cross border crimes, and may not depend on the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) protocols to help apprehend criminals.

In a communique after a joint Regional Security Council meeting between Ghana and Burkina Faso in Wa, it noted that the use of ECOWAS Protocols all the time often served as a hindrance to apprehending criminals.

The communique signed by Alhaji Amidu Sulemana, Upper West Regional Minister and Mr Ambroise S. Amadou Diarra, Governor of South West Region in Burkina Faso, urged security officers in the frontier regions to exchange contract numbers to enable them maintain surveillance on suspected criminals.

It urged traditional rulers in the communities to get actively involved in the fight against cross border crime.

The communique also asked the frontier regions to provide the names of notorious criminals on wanted lists and distribute them among security councils of the various regions for close surveillance and apprehension.

It urged governments of the Ghana and Burkina Faso to provide modern communication equipment to the security personnel at the borders.

The communique called for the reactivation of Ghana and Burkina Faso Joint Boundary Commission to help facilitate joint meetings on regular basis to discuss security issues.

It gave the assurance that the two countries would fight and bring down cross border crimes to the lowest minimum, and also, sustain the existing cordial relationship among the people in the three frontier regions and ultimately between Ghana and Burkina Faso.