A HIGH court in Ghana has halted planned protests by civil society groups in Accra, joining a growing list of African nations attempting to stifle youth-led demonstrations over economic challenges.
Organisers of the protest had anticipated over two million participants to rally against President Nana Akufo-Addo’s handling of corruption, economic conditions, and delays in passing an anti-LGBT bill. However, High Court Justice Abena Afia Serwaa approved a police request to ban protests from July 31 to August 6, citing insufficient security personnel due to ongoing election campaign duties.
This ruling aligns with a wave of youth protests sweeping across Africa. In Kenya, over 50 people have been killed and nearly 700 arrested since mid-June during demonstrations against proposed tax hikes by President William Ruto. The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) confirmed these figures. In response, Ruto has dismissed his cabinet and withdrawn the controversial tax bill.
In Uganda, recent protests against alleged government corruption saw youth demanding the resignation of the parliament speaker. Police intervened, arresting more than 70 participants, according to a local legal aid group.
Nigeria has taken a different approach, offering jobs in the state oil company and substantial grants to youth in an attempt to deter a planned nationwide protest over governance issues and high living costs.
Mensah Thompson, a protest organiser in Ghana, criticised the court’s decision, asserting that elections should not prevent citizens from exercising their right to protest. ‘Young people are determined to demonstrate with or without official approval,’ he told Reuters. ‘There is a potential for spontaneous protests similar to those in Kenya.’
Ghana’s economy has been under severe strain due to years of overextended borrowing, compounded by the Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and rising global interest rates. The country, a major producer of gold, cocoa, and oil, is currently restructuring $30bn in external debt to implement a $3bn, three-year International Monetary Fund bailout programme aimed at recovering from its worst economic crisis in decades.
As Ghanaians prepare to vote in December to elect new legislators and a successor to President Akufo-Addo, the political and economic climate remains tense.
