The police in Ghana reported that they had detained 42 protesters in Accra following clashes during demonstrations against economic hardship and the government’s management of illegal mining, locally known as “galamsey”.
The protests, organised by Democracy Hub, commenced on Friday and were scheduled to continue until Monday. The demonstrators, predominantly young people, marched through the city singing patriotic songs and holding signs expressing frustration over environmental damage caused by illegal mining and perceived economic mismanagement by the government.
According to a police statement, 42 individuals were apprehended on Sunday, with Police spokesperson Grace Ansah-Akrofi saying, “These individuals assembled unlawfully and attacked police officers who were performing their lawful duties.”
She added, “They will be brought to court for their actions, which include obstructing traffic, damaging property, and causing disturbances.”
The police also indicated in the statement that the protesters engaged in various unlawful activities, such as removing the ignition key from a police vehicle and discarding it, toppling crash barriers, and disrupting the peace.
They announced a search for other protest leaders, including prominent lawyer and activist Oliver Barker-Vormawor, for allegedly avoiding arrest.
However, Barker-Vormawor refuted the police’s allegations, stating they were unfounded and deceptive.
“I have been consistently in touch with senior officers within the Police hierarchy regarding my whereabouts and availability,” he stated in a post on X.
In response, Democracy Hub criticised the police’s use of force, labelling it as an unwarranted attack on peaceful protesters.
The protests coincide with Ghana’s preparation for a presidential election in December, with the economy being a central focus of the campaign. The competition pits Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, the candidate for the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), against former president John Mahama of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Ghana’s economy is slowly rebounding from a severe financial crisis in 2022, which resulted in the country defaulting on its external debt. In December 2022, inflation reached 54 per cent but decreased to 20.4 per cent last month.
Ghana, a major oil, gold, and cocoa producer, is gradually stabilising its economy with a $3 billion relief package from the International Monetary Fund.