Ghana's protocol officers came under fire from Nigerian political commentator Reno Omokri for permitting Burkina Faso's president, Ibrahim Traoré, to attend President John Dramani Mahama's inauguration ceremony with a handgun. Due to his full military uniform and armament, the military leader's presence at the Accra event attracted notice.

Omokri claimed that two opposing photos demonstrated the glaring disparity in Traoré's diplomatic behavior. During his visit to Ghana, the Burkinabe leader was photographed armed in one photo, while another showed him with Russian President Vladimir Putin without any weapons.
Ghanaian protocol officials came under special criticism for how they handled the crisis. Omokri brought up an earlier instance from November 28, 2006, in which President Obasanjo of Nigeria sternly confronted Muammar Gaddafi of Libya in a similar circumstance at the Abuja airport, demanding that he give up his weapons before continuing.

Strict enforcement of security measures surrounding their head of state is demonstrated by Russian diplomatic protocol. Omokri brought up the recent instance of Justin Trudeau, the outgoing prime minister of Canada, who made a physical move toward Putin that sparked an instant security response despite Putin's own warnings to exercise caution.
Many African leaders attended the Ghanaian presidential ceremony, which usually complies with international diplomatic norms. In order to preserve proper security and ceremonial dignity, these regulations typically forbid the appearance of armed personnel during official state occasions.

Burkina Faso's current political system is reflected in Traoré's military leadership. That being said, his choice to keep his gun at a formal diplomatic event was a unique deviation from accepted global procedure.
The Ghanaian presidential ceremony, which typically conforms to international diplomatic standards, was attended by numerous African leaders. These rules usually prohibit the presence of armed troops at official state events to maintain appropriate security and ceremonial dignity.

Traoré's military leadership reflects Burkina Faso's existing political structure. Nevertheless, his decision to carry his firearm to a formal diplomatic gathering was a singular departure from customary international practice.