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Government of Ghana facilitates safe return of Ghanaian caught in South Africa xenophobic attacks
The Government of Ghana has facilitated the safe return of a Ghanaian national, Emmanuel Akowuah Asamoah, who appeared in a viral video linked to recent xenophobic attacks in South Africa.
Mr. Asamoah arrived in Ghana on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, in the company of Ghana’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Benjamin Anani Quashie.
He was received at the airport by Ambassador Harold Agyeman and other officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Addressing the media, Ambassador Agyeman said the government remains committed to protecting the welfare of Ghanaians living abroad.
According to him, following the incident involving Mr. Asamoah, immediate action was taken on the instructions of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, to relocate him to a safe place and reunite him with his family.
Ambassador Agyeman described the xenophobic attacks as worrying and stressed that Africa must remain a place of unity and mutual respect among its people.
He said Ghana strongly condemns attacks against African nationals and recalled that the Foreign Affairs Minister had earlier summoned the Acting South African High Commissioner to formally express Ghana’s concerns over the situation.
He added that the government would continue to monitor developments closely while relying on assurances from South African authorities to address the matter.
In his remarks, High Commissioner Quashie said the Ghana High Commission in South Africa has been engaging local authorities over the attacks.
Although he noted that the situation has not fully returned to normal, he said South African authorities have acknowledged Ghana’s concerns and are working to prevent similar incidents from happening again.
He praised the Foreign Affairs Minister for his swift intervention and commitment to the welfare of Ghanaians living abroad.
Mr. Quashie further assured that the Ghana High Commission would continue to work with relevant authorities to ensure the safety of Ghanaians in South Africa.
According to him, the Mission has also been issuing regular advisory notices to members of the Ghanaian community, guiding them on safe areas and warning them to avoid places where unrest could occur.
Mr. Asamoah, on his part, thanked the government for acting quickly to ensure his safety and return home.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Member of Parliament for Akuapem North, Sammy Awuku, has expressed deep sorrow following the sudden passing of Isaac Batsa, the constituency secretary for the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) lawmaker issued a statement on Tuesday reacting to the news, which has shocked the local political community.
Mr.Awuku praised the late NDC secretary for his bipartisan approach to local governance.
He noted that despite their different political affiliations, Batsa consistently rose above party lines to serve the constituency with diligence.
The MP revealed that the news was particularly shocking given that he had last interacted with Batsa just three days prior on Saturday.
Concluding his statement, Sammy Awuku extended his heartfelt condolences to Batsa’s family, the constituency and regional executives, and the entire NDC fraternity, wishing the deceased peaceful eternal rest.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has petitioned the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps to intervene in what it describes as the unlawful arrest and detention of the Bono Regional Chairman of the party, Kwame Baffoe, popularly known as Abronye DC.
Speaking during the presentation of the petition, NPP Member of Parliament, Jerry Ahmed Shaib accused the government led by John Dramani Mahama of promoting what he described as a “culture of silence.”
According to him, the continued detention of Abronye DC over a bailable offence was unacceptable and against the principles of justice.
He argued that keeping an accused person in custody until a matter is fully determined was not common practice in democratic states.
“It can only happen in a kangaroo or banana state,” he stated.
Mr. Shaib further alleged that state institutions were being influenced to intimidate political opponents.
He maintained that the criminal libel law had long been repealed in Ghana and questioned why individuals were allegedly being targeted over comments on national issues.
According to him, citizens should not be arrested simply for expressing views, including claims that power outages, popularly known as “dumsor,” had returned.
The lawmaker also accused the presiding judge in the matter of showing bias and claimed the court had failed to indicate when Abronye DC would reappear or be released.
He explained that the NPP deliberately chose a peaceful approach in presenting the petition to the diplomatic community instead of organising demonstrations.
Mr. Shaib noted that the delegation was acting on the instructions of the party leadership, including the Minority Leader, the General Secretary, the National Organiser, and former Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia.
He called on the diplomatic community and ambassadors in the country to engage the Ghanaian authorities and ensure that justice and human rights were upheld.
By: Jacob Aggrey
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