The United Nations (UN) has condemned last Thursday’s [April 6] attack by pro-New Patriotic Party (NPP) vigilante group, Delta Force, on the Kumasi Circuit Court.
Some members of Delta Force, stormed the Kumasi Circuit Court and freed about 13 members of their group, who were facing charges for causing disturbances at the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council. The group vandalized some court properties, and almost assaulted the Judge, Mary Senkyire in the process. Aside this development, there have been several attacks staged by other vigilante groups affiliated with the governing NPP.
A joint statement authored by the special representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel; Mohammed Ibn Chambas , and the resident coordinator of the UN system in Ghana; Christiane Evans-Klock described these attacks as reprehensible. The statement, which was issued on Monday April 10 and copied to citifmonline.com also called for a thorough government investigation into these incidents since Ghana’s image is being affected by these developments.
“The two UN officials outrightly denounce these reprehensible acts that are the latest in a series of similar incidents since the end of the December 2016 elections in Ghana.They welcome positively the unambiguous condemnation of these acts by the government and expect that all necessary measures will be taken to investigate these actions and bring the perpetrators to justice,” the statement said.
Read the full statement below:
STATEMENT BY THE UNITED NATIONS ON RECENT VIOLENCE AT KUMASI CIRCUIT COURT
Accra, Ghana: 10 April 2017 – The United Nations has consistently drawn attention to the negative role of vigilante groups in the two leading political parties of Ghana. The Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel, Mohamed Ibn Chambas, and the Resident Coordinator of the UN system in Ghana, Christine Evans-Klock, have followed with consternation the acts of impunity perpetrated by the Delta Force vigilante group in the aftermath of December 2016 elections.
They are particularly concerned that these political militants invaded the premises of Kumasi Circuit Court on 6 April 2017, and freed their members standing trial for assault on the Regional Security Coordinator on 24 March 2017. These acts are likely to tarnish the image of Ghana as a model of democracy and the rule of law. The two UN officials outrightly denounce these reprehensible acts that are the latest in a series of similar incidents since the end of the December 2016 elections in Ghana.
They welcome positively the unambiguous condemnation of these acts by the government and expect that all necessary measures will be taken to investigate these actions and bring the perpetrators to justice.
