Interior Minister Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak has confirmed that both police and military personnel were found culpable in several deaths recorded during Ghana’s 2020 and 2024 General Elections.
According to the Minister, “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 revealed that the report identified twelve violent incidents that left fifteen people dead and forty others injured, noting that the violence was often sparked by confrontations between rival political supporters.
The Minister added that “there were instances of clear breaches of discipline, violations of legal requirements, and total neglect by officers who were either present or responsible for situations that required prompt and responsive actions.”
Mr. Mohammed-Mubarak assured that government remains committed to ensuring accountability, emphasizing that no officer found responsible would be shielded from the law.
He expressed grave concern over the use of live ammunition and “warning shots” by some security personnel during election operations, describing it as a dangerous and unacceptable crowd-control method.
Revealing findings from the government’s report on the 2020 and 2024 election violence, the Minister said: “Nearly all involve the use of firearms during confrontations between supporters of the two major political parties and instances where security personnel resort to the use of live ammunition, ‘warning shots’ as a means of crowd control.”
The report, which documented fifteen deaths and forty injuries, found that while some incidents involved clashes between party supporters, others were directly linked to the actions of armed police and military officers.
Mr. Mohammed-Mubarak said, “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.”
He emphasized that reforms within the security services and proper training on election security operations are critical to prevent such tragedies in future polls.
