Ablekuma North Polls: MFWA Condemns Violent Attacks on Three Journalists
The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) has strongly condemned the physical assault of three journalists who were covering the parliamentary election rerun in the Ablekuma North constituency in the Greater Accra Region on Friday, July 11, 2025.
The incident adds to the worrying pattern of violence against media professionals in Ghana, raising fresh concerns about press freedom and the safety of journalists, especially during elections.
The assaulted journalists — Kwabena Agyekum Banahene of the EIB Network, Salomey Martey of the Multimedia Group, and Vida Wiafe of Amansan TV (ATV) — were attacked while reporting live from various polling stations in the constituency.
Although the MFWA did not immediately provide details about the extent of their injuries or the identities of their attackers, such assaults are often linked to political party supporters, vigilante groups, or security personnel.
The MFWA’s condemnation comes amid mounting fears over the deteriorating safety of journalists in Ghana, a country once celebrated as a beacon of press freedom in Africa.
Just five months ago, in February 2025, five journalists were assaulted while covering the Council of State elections in the Ashanti Region. Those attacks, which involved brutalization and the seizure or destruction of journalistic equipment, underscored the persistent threats media practitioners face.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and the MFWA both demanded swift investigations and accountability, warning that unchecked impunity only emboldens perpetrators.
Ghana’s previous election cycles have also been marred by similar violence. During the 2020 general elections, multiple journalists were attacked, threatened, and in some cases shot, according to reports by Civicus Monitor and the MFWA. These incidents ranged from physical assaults at collation centers to threats and attacks by political party supporters — both in person and online — highlighting the precarious environment in which Ghanaian journalists operate.
In a statement following the Ablekuma North rerun, the MFWA issued an urgent call to action:
“The MFWA calls on both state and non-state actors involved in the Ablekuma North parliamentary election rerun to exercise restraint, uphold the rule of law, and respect the rights of all stakeholders — especially the media, who are carrying out their duty to inform Ghanaians and the rest of the world about the entire process,” the Foundation said.
The latest attacks in Ablekuma North serve as a stark reminder of the urgent need for stronger measures to protect journalists and guarantee their right to work freely and safely.
Without decisive action to investigate such incidents, prosecute perpetrators, and dismantle groups that foment violence, Ghana’s democratic gains risk being eroded by a growing culture of impunity against the press.
Credit: David Apinga
