The African Union High Representative for Silencing the Guns, Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas, has called for an urgent, coordinated response from political parties to prevent a deepening crisis and end electoral violence.
Dr. Chambas emphasized that while Ghana remains a symbol of democratic resilience in a volatile region, complacency is no longer an option.
“Let’s face it. these incidents of violence are limited to known hotspots… but the issue is now to do the work that is required.”
The Ablekuma North rerun triggered by irregularities from the December 2024 elections, was intended to restore confidence.
Instead, it was marred by reports of assaults, intimidation, and attacks on journalists and political figures, including former Fisheries Minister Mavis Hawa Koomson.
Such acts, according to Dr. Chambas, are “unacceptable” and threaten to ignite larger unrest.
“Sometimes it just needs a flick of fire to start a bushfire,” he warned, pointing to the continued existence of party-aligned militias despite the 2019 Vigilantism and Related Offences Act meant to dismantle them.
He reiterated that, political vigilante groups, often composed of underemployed youth, continue to serve as tools of intimidation, despite being outlawed.
“The youth wing of a party has a role,” Chambas stressed, “but it must be constructive. Mobilize voters, not terrorize them.”
