Ghana’s Volta Regional State of Western Togoland has declared independence from Ghana and blocked the main entrance to the region with armed men.
According to local sources, armed groups in the region which has been advocating for independence for decades attacked two police stations and took three police officers hostage including the District Commander. They then used weapons stolen from the armory of both police stations to blockade the main entrance to the Volta region of Ghana.
Before the blockade of Western Togoland State at dawn on Friday, one of the dominant groups in the region, the Western Togoland Restoration Front (WTRF) published photos online showing the induction ceremony of 500 trained fighters in secret locations.
An eye-witness account of the blockade effected by the Ghanaian armed group said to the press,
“This is a very serious situation because just few weeks ago we saw [what happened] when they mounted signs along the major roads welcoming people into the Western Togoland State. Blocking the roads with heaps of sand, burning tyres [and] even holding security personnel hostage.”
The Chairman of the regional group, Togbe Yesu Kwabla Edudzi I released a press statement saying the declaration of independence and blockade effected by elements of his group are parts of efforts towards consolidating statehood which has been in effect since September 1.
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The group also said the roadblock were to signify its intent to asset authority all over the region, saying further that it hopes its actions will force the government of Ghana to join a United Nations (UN) facilitated negotiations to severe ties between Ghana and the State of Western Togoland.
It thereafter issued an ultimatum through radio stations taken over by its armed members to the Ghanaian Police to leave the region and surrender their weapons within 24 hours. It also ordered the Ghanaian government to release its members being held on secessionist charges in prisons across Ghana.
Responding to the incident via Facebook, the Ghanaian police warned travellers against traveling to the region saying it was carrying out several security operations in communities across the Volta Region. The warning was echoed by the Volta Region Minister, Archibald Letsa who urged travellers to allow security personnel do their job.
Origins of the Conflict
The emerging conflict in Ghana is yet another classic case of seeds planted by Western European Colonial Powers. Western Togoland is located between Lake Volta and the border between Ghana and Togo. It was first colonized by Germany in 1884 and incorporated into the colony of Togoland which would later be partitioned by Britain and France as protectorates following the defeat of Germany in World War One.
Western Togoland was incorporated into the Gold Coast Colony controlled by Britain. Gold Coast Colony would gain Independence from Britain in 1957 as modern day Ghana while the other half controlled by France gained independence in 1960 as modern day Togo.
Several splinter groups in the region are currently agitating to be an independent state and tried to actualize the dream in 2017 but were unsuccessful. Ghanaian security agents arrested 80 separatist members during a demonstration against the arrest of seven leaders of the splinter groups in March 2020.
The area is represented in the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) and locals have expressed that they have more in common with Togo than the rest of Ghana.
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