Politics

Ghana: President Akufo-Addo yet to receive anti-LGBTQ bill

Published

10 months ago

March 5, 2024

President Nana Akufo-Addo has stated that an anti-LGBTQ bill that was voted on by Ghana’s parliament last week has not yet reached his desk.

Although the president maintained that Ghana would not renege on its human rights record in his initial remarks following the bill’s passage, he also mentioned that the bill had been challenged at the Supreme Court.

The country’s ministry of finance warned on Tuesday that if it became law, the measure might sabotage foreign aid for the West African nation.

“I have learned that, today, a challenge has been mounted at the Supreme Court,” Akufo-Addo said in a statement.

“In the circumstances, it would be as well for all of us to hold our hands and await the decision of the Court before any action is taken,” he added.

According to a document quoted by Reuters on Monday, the finance ministry stated that if the bill was passed, it may result in a loss of $3.8 billion in World Bank financing over the next five to six years, derailing a $3 billion IMF loan package.

The bill would become law only if President Akufo-Addo signed it. The measure that will tighten the crackdown on the rights of LGBTQ identities and those who support them was unanimously approved by lawmakers on February 28.

There are strict laws in place in a number of African nations that discriminate against individuals who identify as LGBTQ. Hakainde Hichilema, the president of Zambia, issued a warning to supporters of the LGBTQ movement last year, urging them to stop endorsing homosexuality and insisting that the nation “maintain laws that abhor alien orientations like gayism and lesbianism.”

Legislator Sam George of Ghana has also been outspokenly critical of the group; he recently criticised the US Vice President for her support of African acceptance of the LGBTQ community.

In 2006, South Africa became the first and remains the only African country to legalize same-sex marriage, with a constitution that also protects against discrimination based on sexual orientation. Others, like Angola, Mozambique, Botswana, Lesotho, Mauritius and Seychelles all have laws in favour of the community in Africa.

South Africa, which has a constitution that forbids discrimination based on sexual orientation, was the first and only African nation to legalise same-sex marriage in 2006. Others, such as the laws of Angola, Mozambique, Botswana, Lesotho, Mauritius, and the Seychelles, are favourable to the African community.

Related Topics:Featured Ghana LGBTQ President Akufo

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Politics

Burkina Faso releases 4 French spies after Moroccan intervention

Published

2 days ago

December 20, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

In a diplomatic spat over their imprisonment, France and Morocco announced Thursday that four French nationals detained in Burkina Faso for a year had been freed after mediation from Morocco.

They were spies, according to a prior statement made by the director of France’s foreign intelligence organisation, the DGSE.

A request for comment was not answered by the DGSE or a representative of the French military, which is in charge of the agency.

Since December 2023, they have been held in Ouagadougou.

President Emmanuel Macron hailed King Mohammed of Morocco on Wednesday for his intervention, “which made possible the liberation of our four countrymen who had been held in Burkina Faso for a year,” according to a statement from the French administration.

King Mohammed and President Ibrahim Traore of Burkina Faso were also commended by Morocco’s foreign ministry, which stated that “this humanitarian act” was made possible by their positive bilateral ties.

In October, France made peace with Morocco, one of its former protectorates, after three years of hostilities between Paris and Rabat stoked by immigration concerns and the disputed Western Sahara region.

Morocco offers Burkina Faso and other military-ruled Sahel republics Atlantic trade.

However, France’s relations with former West and Central African colonies, such as Burkina Faso, remain difficult. In Ouagadougou, French troops and diplomats were ejected, the defence attache and ambassador were asked to depart, and certain French media were suspended.

The military junta that took control in 2022 in Burkina Faso has been criticized by international rights groups for cracking down on free expression and harassing dissidents to handle a security crisis precipitated by Al Qaeda and Islamic State extremists.

Politics

Ghana: President-elect Mahama appoints anti-corruption team

Published

3 days ago

December 19, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

According to a statement released by his transition team on Wednesday, Ghana’s President-elect, John Dramani Mahama, has designated an anti-corruption committee to investigate allegations of wrongdoing.

When he takes office next month, Mahama, the leading opposition candidate in the presidential election held on December 7 and who received almost 56% of the vote, has pledged to reclaim the proceeds of corruption and hold those responsible for it accountable.

In anticipation, an anti-graft squad has been established. The parliament’s Committee on Assurances, which has previously raised suspicions of governmental corruption, is chaired by MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwah.

An investigative journalist, a private attorney, a former auditor general, and a former police officer with experience in high-profile robbery cases make up the other three members.

After looking into alleged financial irregularities that took place during the previous administration, Daniel Dumelovo, the former auditor general, was fired.

Recovering lost assets and fighting corruption were two of Mahama’s main campaign pledges.

“He intends to hit the ground running on these commitments,” the statement said.

Eight years after leaving office, former President Mahama is back to head the West African country. Despite not being personally contaminated, he faced criticism during his 2012–2016 administration due to claims of political corruption.