U.S. VP Harris begins Africa tour in Ghana

U.S. VP Harris begins Africa tour in Ghana

Vice President Kamala Harris of the United States arrived in Accra on Sunday, beginning a three-nation tour that focuses on investment and African economic growth. “Today begins a weeklong journey, first here in Ghana, then on to Tanzania and then Zambia,” said Harris during public remarks. “I’m very excited about…

Laureen Fagan

Laureen is the editor of Africa Times

Ghana mends fences with Burkina Faso over Wagner claims

Ghana mends fences with Burkina Faso over Wagner claims

Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo has smoothed over a rift with Burkina Faso after allegations that its northern neighbor is the latest African nation to enlist Wagner Group mercenaries to maintain security and counter its terrorism threats. A diplomatic mission led by national security minister Albert Kan-Dapaah met with Burkinabé leader…

Laureen is the editor of Africa Times

Death toll likely to rise in Ghana explosion

Emergency management officials in Ghana say an enormous explosion in the community of Apiate has leveled it, with the death toll still unknown as responders search through collapsed buildings. Ghana Police Service said the blast happened when a vehicle carrying explosives used for mining was passing through the village, between…

African leaders speak at Summit for Democracy

President Nana Akufo Addo of Ghana was set to speak as the virtual Summit for Democracy, hosted by the United States, kicked off on Thursday. Akufo Addo and Yvonne Aki-Sawyer, the mayor of Freetown in Sierra Leone, planned remarks for a discussion on “Bolstering Democratic Resilience: Building Back Better Together…

Akufo Addo accepts, but Ghana’s opposition not ready to concede

Presidential candidate John Dramani Mahama and his National Democratic Congress say they’re not yet accepting defeat following Ghana’s election on Sunday, which appeared to give President Nana Akufo Addo the win. The Electoral Commission of Ghana delivered an updated results summary on Thursday that shows Akufo Addo and the New…

Polls close in Ghana with 2 injured in shooting

At least two people have been injured in Ghana, following a shooting at a polling station in the country’s central region. Police confirmed to national broadcaster GBC that unidentified men opened fire on the polling station at Awutu Senya East Constituency and drove off in a black SUV. The injured,…

Parties call for peace as uneasy Ghana heads to the polls

Voters in Ghana are headed to the polls on Monday for the country’s presidential and parliamentary elections, with President Nana Akufo Addo facing off against rival and former president John Dramani Mahama. The two leading candidates wrapped up their campaigns over the weekend, with Akufo Addo delivering a Sunday-evening televised…

African leaders wish Trump well following COVID diagnosis

Ghanaian President Nana Akufo Addo was among the world leaders quick to send encouragement to United States President Donald Trump following the news that Trump and his wife, Melania, tested positive for the coronavirus. “My wife Rebecca and I send best wishes,” said Akufo Addo, who was exposed to the…

Ghana’s Akufo Addo elected as new ECOWAS chair

President Nana Akufo Addo of Ghana has been elected the new head of the 15-nation Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and will replace outgoing chief Mahamadou Issoufou, his Nigerien counterpart. “I am fully aware of the challenges which confront West Africa,” said Akufo Addo in his acceptance speech,…

AfCFTA Secretariat ceremony held in Ghana

The keys to the new headquarters of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat were handed over on Monday in Ghana, where the government also established a permanent residence for the first AfCFTA head. Wamkele Keabetswe Mene, the South African elected to the position in February, delivered remarks at…

Ghana denies Akufo Addo has left country for COVID treatment

Ghanaian authorities on Sunday were denying rumors that President Nana Akufo Addo has left the country for medical treatment, following news that he had been exposed to COVID-19 through a close contact. “Kindly disregard the false story published by the Herald newspaper,” said Eugene Arhin, the president’s communications director, in…

Ghana wants in on the ECO, urges ECOWAS nations to follow

The Government of Ghana has announced its full support for the new ECO currency that will replace the CFA Franc in 2020, and is urging other West African states to do the same. President Nana Akufo Addo, a champion of regional cooperation through the 15-nation ECOWAS organization and a common…

Ghana delivers fishing gear to help reduce IUU practices

Ghanaian President Nana Akufo Addo delivered thousands of outboard motors and other fishing gear to the country’s coastal residents on Tuesday, while encouraging them to end illegal practices and pursue a sustainable industry. Akufo Addo, along with other agency leaders including fisheries minister Elizabeth Afoley Quaye, made the presentation during…

Laureen Fagan

Laureen is the editor of Africa Times