A high court in Ghana has prohibited civil society groups from holding demonstrations in the capital, Accra, following a request from the country’s police force. This move, according to one of the organizers, is part of a broader trend among African governments to suppress youth-led protests against economic hardships and governance issues.
The protests, initially scheduled to take place between July 31 and August 6, were expected to draw over two million people. Organizers aimed to pressure President Nana Akufo-Addo to address corruption, the high cost of living, and delays in enacting an anti-LGBT bill. However, Justice Abena Afia Serwaa ruled in favor of the police, who argued they lacked the necessary personnel to ensure security, as officers were already committed to political rallies ahead of the upcoming elections.
Mensah Thompson, one of the protest organizers, criticized the court’s decision, asserting that elections should not hinder citizens’ rights to protest. “Young people are poised to demonstrate with or without the approval of the authorities,” he said. “A time comes when they will spontaneously jump on the streets, and we will have a ‘Kenya’ on our hands.”
Ghana’s economy, strained by years of excessive borrowing, has been further impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and rising global interest rates. The country is restructuring its $30 billion external debt to secure a $3 billion International Monetary Fund bailout program, attempting to recover from its worst economic crisis in decades. With presidential and legislative elections scheduled for December, the political climate is expected to be highly charged.
This development in Ghana is part of a larger wave of youth protests across Africa. In Kenya, a police crackdown on demonstrations against tax increases proposed by President William Ruto has resulted in over 50 deaths and nearly 700 arrests since mid-June. Ruto has since dismissed his cabinet and abandoned the tax bill. In Uganda, young people protested against alleged corruption, leading to over 70 arrests. Meanwhile, Nigeria’s government offered jobs and financial incentives to its youth to deter protests over bad governance and the high cost of living, but the measures failed to prevent the outbreak of demonstrations, which have already resulted in at least 13 deaths.
As these protests continue, African governments are increasingly facing pressure from their citizens, particularly the youth, who are demanding accountability, better living conditions, and more transparent governance.