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Ghana requests AU discussion on xenophobic attacks in South Africa
The Government of Ghana has formally written to the African Union requesting that xenophobic attacks against African nationals in South Africa be placed on the agenda of the upcoming Mid-Year Coordination Meeting of the AU.
In a letter dated May 6, 2026, Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the matter should be discussed at the Eighth Mid-Year Coordination Meeting scheduled for June 24 to 27 in El Alamein, Egypt.
According to the government, recurring xenophobic incidents in South Africa have led to the loss of lives, destruction of investments, and threats to the safety and wellbeing of many African nationals living there.
The letter noted that the continued attacks on fellow Africans are worrying, especially considering the support many African countries offered South Africa during the struggle against apartheid and the country’s transition to democracy.
While acknowledging South Africa’s sovereignty and responsibility to protect people within its territory, the Government of Ghana said the targeting of African nationals goes against the principles of African solidarity, brotherhood, and continental unity upheld by member states of the African Union.
The government further argued that the attacks violate the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, weaken the spirit of Pan-Africanism and regional integration, and contradict the goals of the African Continental Free Trade Area, which promotes free movement and economic cooperation across the continent.
Ghana has therefore asked the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, acting under the authority of the Chairperson of the African Union, to ensure the matter is officially included on the agenda of the upcoming meeting in line with the AU’s rules of procedure.
The government believes discussions on the issue will help African leaders find lasting solutions to xenophobic violence and strengthen unity among member states.
By: Jacob Aggrey
The Ghana Police Service has arrested four suspected armed robbers following an intelligence-led operation in Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region.
The suspects, identified as Abdulai Ibrahim, Amadu Rahman, Amadu Sulemana, also known as Saaga, and Adu Yakubu, were arrested on May 5, 2026.
Investigations indicate that on 4th May 2026, the suspects converged at Gbane, a mining community in the Talensi District, after travelling from Yagaba and Fumbisi to carry out a robbery operation, during which they robbed four motorbikes and several mobile phones.
During interrogation, the suspects admitted to a series of robberies within the Talensi District, along the Yagaba Fumbisi road and the Yagaba-Nanguruma road in the North East Region.
They also confessed to a robbery at the Vikandi Phone Shop in Bolgatanga on 22nd March 2025, which was captured in a viral video in which they were seen wielding an AK47 assault rifle.
They further admitted to multiple robberies at Gbane mining sites, where gold and large sums of money were taken from victims.
The suspects later led Police to a farm near Biung, close to Gbane, where the gang leader, Amadu Rahman, had concealed an AK47 rifle.
A search of the area led to the retrieval of the rifle, with serial number 68100563, and eighty-seven (87) rounds of live ammunition hidden in a fertilizer sack.
During the search to retrieve the weapon, suspect Amadu Rahman collapsed and was rushed to the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.
His body has been deposited at the hospital morgue for preservation and autopsy.
The remaining three suspects are in Police custody and will be put before court to face the full rigours of the law.
Fourteen civil society organisations, including CDD, IMANI and 12 other CSO’shave filed an application at the Supreme Court seeking permission to join a constitutional case challenging parts of the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959).
The groups want to participate in the case of Adamtey v Attorney-General as amici curiae, meaning friends of the court, to provide legal and policy perspectives to assist the court in its determination.
In a joint statement issued on Wednesday, May 6, the organisations explained that the case raises important constitutional and public interest issues relating to Ghana’s anti corruption framework and the independence of public institutions.
The coalition includes Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), Transparency International Ghana, the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC), Democracy Hub LBG, STAR-Ghana Foundation, NORSAAC, Penplusbytes, the Africa Center for Energy Policy (ACEP), Odekro Parliamentary Monitoring Organization, A Rocha Ghana, Parliamentary Network Africa (PN Africa), IMANI-Africa, the One Ghana Movement, and Africa Education Watch.
According to the statement, some of the organisations were directly involved in the drafting and parliamentary approval of Act 959 in 2017 and also campaigned for the establishment of the Office of the Special Prosecutor.
It noted that it jointly submitted what it described as one of the most detailed memoranda to Parliament’s Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee during discussions on the bill.
The coalition commended the Supreme Court for increasingly allowing amicus curiae participation in cases involving major constitutional questions.
According to the statement, such participation has helped to broaden public interest perspectives and strengthen constitutional adjudication in Ghana.
The organisations stressed that their intervention is not politically motivated or directed at any individual involved in the case.
“It is motivated solely by a shared commitment to constitutionalism, accountable governance, anti corruption, institutional integrity, and the preservation of independent public institutions established to serve the Republic,” the statement noted.
The coalition expressed confidence that its participation would provide the court with institutional memory, comparative anti corruption standards and constitutional arguments to support a fair determination of the matter.
The applicants are being represented by Kizito Beyuo, Oliver Barker Vormawor, Samson Lardy Anyenini and Clement Kojo Akapame.
By: Jacob Aggrey
