Ghana’s Interior Minister, Hon. Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, has revealed that both police and military personnel were found culpable in several deaths recorded during the 2020 and 2024 General Elections. The disclosure comes from findings in a Special Investigation Task Force report detailing incidents of election-related violence across multiple regions of the country.
According to the Minister, investigations confirmed that security officers were directly responsible for some of the fatalities.
“Three of the cases resulting in four deaths are traceable to the use of a firearm by armed police patrol teams. Military personnel were also found to be responsible for three of the cases resulting in the death of three persons when they intervened to restore calm to chaotic crowds,” he stated.
The report identified twelve violent incidents that left fifteen people dead and forty others injured, many resulting from clashes between rival political supporters and the excessive use of firearms by security forces.
Hon. Muntaka expressed deep concern about the use of live ammunition and warning shots by security personnel during crowd-control operations, describing the practice as “dangerous and unacceptable.”
“Nearly all the cases involved the use of firearms during confrontations between supporters of the two major political parties and instances where security personnel resorted to live ammunition and warning shots as a means of crowd control,” the Minister explained.
The Minister further noted that investigations uncovered serious breaches of discipline, violations of legal requirements, and neglect of duty by certain officers responsible for maintaining peace during the elections.
“There were instances of clear breaches of discipline and total neglect by officers who were either present or responsible for situations that required prompt and responsible actions,” he added.
Hon. Mohammed-Mubarak assured the public that no officer found culpable would be shielded from accountability, reaffirming the government’s commitment to justice and security sector reform.
He stressed the urgent need for comprehensive reforms and retraining within the police and military services, particularly on election security operations, to prevent similar tragedies in future polls.
“Reforms within the security services and proper training on election security operations are critical to prevent such tragedies in future elections,” he emphasized.
The Minister’s remarks follow the government’s pledge to fully implement the Ayawaso West Wuogon Commission Report, which also called for stronger oversight and accountability mechanisms to curb election-related violence in Ghana.
