The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has condemned the violent attack on five journalists who covered the Council of State Elections in Ghana’s Ashanti Region.
The assault, carried out by unidentified men at the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council on February 11, left four reporters injured, prompting calls for swift justice.
According to reports, the victims include Kifi Adede of Oyerepa Radio and Television, Henry Attah Kofei of Osiekrom Dawuro Newspaper, Charles Awuah Mensah of Lawson Television, Gabriel Kwasi Oppong of Angel Broadcasting Network, and Gideon Nana Peprah of Ghana Web. They were reportedly assaulted while documenting the electoral process.
Journalist Gideon Nana Peprah recounted the attack, stating that a group of seven men stormed the venue, disrupting the process and physically attacking reporters and election officers.
“They started scattering everything—the ballots, the prepared ballot papers, and the tally sheets. I was attacked by seven or eight of them. They claimed they saw me taking videos and ordered me to delete them. Before I could react, they seized my phone and overpowered me. I was slapped and struck with a metal object on my mouth,” he said.
The president of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, addressed the attacks at a news conference on February 18, urging President John Mahama to take action against the growing violence targeting journalists.
Dwumfour revealed that six journalists had been assaulted in Ghana within a week, including two in Walewale in the Northeast Region. He suggested that the attackers were likely supporters or sympathizers of the ruling party.
Beyond these recent attacks, the GJA also raised concerns over the delayed investigation into the 2019 killing of investigative journalist Ahmed Suale.
“Given the fast-eroding trust and confidence in the Police in respect of the investigation, arrest, and prosecution of suspects involved in the murder of Ahmed Suale, the GJA may seek redress in international forums,” Dwumfour said.
He warned that if the authorities fail to make concrete progress by the end of March 2025, the GJA will take the matter to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Community Court of Justice.
IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger condemned the rise in attacks on journalists in Ghana and called for immediate government intervention.
“The perpetrators of crimes against journalists must be investigated and prosecuted. There is no excuse for any democratic government to continue to sit on the fence while crimes against defenceless journalists increase unabated. The perpetrators must not go unpunished,” Bellanger stated.
The IFJ, along with its Pan-African regional organization, the Federation of African Journalists (FAJ), pledged to support the GJA in its efforts to ensure justice for Ahmed Suale and the journalists recently assaulted while covering the elections.