Ghana police arrest 45 economic hardship protesters

Ghanaian police on Monday said they had arrested three more protesters, including leader Oliver Barker-Vormawor, a day after 42 people were detained after clashes during protests over illegal mining and economic hardship.

The protests in the capital Accra, organised by the group Democracy Hub, began on Friday and were set to continue until Monday.

"The Ghana Police Service has arrested Oliver Barker-Vormawor, one of the leaders of Democracy Hub, for the various unlawful acts he was involved in," police spokeswoman Grace Ansah-Akrofi said in a statement.

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The demonstrators, mostly youths, marched through Accra chanting patriotic songs and carrying placards expressing frustration over environmental destruction caused by illegal mining and perceived economic mismanagement by the government.

"These individuals assembled unlawfully and attacked police officers who were performing their lawful duties," Ansah-Akrofi told AFP.

"They will be arraigned in court for their actions, which include obstructing traffic, damaging property and causing disturbances."

The police said in an earlier statement that the protesters engaged in various acts of lawlessness, including removing the ignition key from a police vehicle and throwing it away, pushing down barriers and disrupting the peace.

"We are working to bring all those responsible to face justice," Ansah-Akrofi added.

Police had declared Barker-Vormawor wanted for allegedly evading arrest and said a manhunt for him was underway.

The protest leader, however, insisted that the police's claim about him evading arrest was "baseless and misleading".

"I have been in consistent communication with senior officers within the Police hierarchy regarding my whereabouts and availability," he said in a post on X.

Democracy Hub said: "We urge the authorities to engage in constructive dialogue with protest leaders to protect the rights and safety of all participants".

The protests come as Ghana gears up for a presidential election in December, with the economy at the forefront of the campaign.

The race pits ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) candidate and Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia against former president John Mahama of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Ghana’s economy is slowly recovering from a severe financial crisis in 2022, which forced the country to default on its external debt.

Inflation peaked at 54 per cent in December 2022 but eased to 20.4 per cent last month.

With President Nana Akufo-Addo stepping down after two terms, his deputy Bawumia is leading the ruling party's bid to retain power.

Ghana, a leading producer of oil, gold and cocoa, is gradually steadying its economy with a $3-billion relief package from the International Monetary Fund.