Biden sends Shalanda Young-led delegation to John Mahama’s Ghana inauguration

President Joe Biden announced a U.S. presidential delegation to attend John Dramani Mahama’s January 7, 2025 inauguration in Accra, Ghana. The delegation was led by Shalanda D. Young, director of the Office of Management and Budget, and included U.S. Ambassador Virginia E. Palmer, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, and National Security Council Africa official Frances Z. Brown. Mahama returned to Ghana’s presidency after winning the 2024 election and taking office during a severe economic crisis. The action mattered because presidential delegations are a diplomatic signal: they show recognition of a peaceful transfer of power and indicate how the United States wants to engage a partner country’s new government.