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| Ms. Stephanie Sullivan,USA Ambassador to Ghana |
Ghana would hold presidential and parliamentary elections in December 2020, in a vote that will be a very close contest between Akufo-Addo’s New Patriotic Party and former President, John Mahama of the main opposition National Democratic Congress.
President Akufo-Addo unseated Mahama in a 2016 election. Mahama, who succeeded his deceased predecessor in 2012 and defeated Akufo-Addo in an election later that year, maintaining the West African country’s record of fiercely contested but peaceful elections.
However, over the past years, political vigilantism has been the pitfall of Ghana’s democracy with both political parties trading accusations to who form the vigilante groups, creating political tensions and divisions in a country described by many as the oasis of peace and stability.
As part of the effort to re-establish Ghana, as one of the beacons of democracy in Africa . And positively reflect on the continent for similar violence-free events elsewhere in Africa. The sports arm of the Humanity Magazine, Football For Humanity, would organize the No-To-Vigilantism Peace Match between Accra Zongo and Kumasi Zongo at Accra Sports Stadium on 14th June,2020.
The organization would use the country’s biggest platform to create the awareness and prevention of political vigilantism, which is gradually eating into the fabric of the Zongo communities and youth of Ghana. The program is geared towards making the up-coming 2020 general election, a memorable political event in Ghana.
The ambassadors where keen to embrace the peace initiative at the 44th anniversary celebration of Angola’s Independence Day in Accra. The program, was well orchestrated by the leader of the occasion, Mr. Augusto Da Silva Cunha, the Angolan Ambassador to Ghana, who welcomed the youth of the political parties in a unity gesture.
The Namibian high commissioner to Ghana, Mr. Charles B.Josob praised the upcoming event by saying ‘we are for world unity ‘. Ms. Lulu Xingwana, The South African High commissioner to Ghana, actively displayed the No-to-vigilantism jersey with the youth of new patriotic party and National Democratic Congress.
Others, who joined the campaign at Tang Palace are the Nigerian High Commissioner to Ghana, Mr. Michael Abikoye and Mr. Pedro Luis Despaigne Gonzalez, Cuban Ambassador to Ghana.
The rest are, Ambassador Stephanie Sullivan of US Embassy and Mrs. Ozlem Ergun Ulueren, Turkish ambassador to Ghana.
In marking the Qatar’s national Day in Accra, honorable Abu-Bakar Saddique Boniface, and Minister of State at the Office of the Vice President praised the relations between Qatar and Ghana.
Mr Mohammed Ahmed Al-Homaid, the Qatar ambassador to Ghana welcomed the youth from the two powerful political opponents in Ghana as a sign of unity.
Another diplomat to embrace the peace campaign was the Russian ambassador to Ghana, Mr. Dmitry Suslov .
Ambassador Sullivan reaffirm her usual peace rituals at independence functions by promoting unity among the two political heavy weights.
