By Love Wilhelmina Abanonave
Executive Director for the Africa Centre for Security and Counterterrorism, Emmanuel Kotin, has raised questions about the delay by the previous government in initiating investigations into the 2020 and 2024 election violence, asking why it had to take a change of government for investigations to begin.
According to him, this is a fundamental question Ghanaians need to ask.
“There are some fundamental questions we need to ask ourselves, like why did it take a change of government for investigations to be started?” he asked.
Speaking on the GTV Breakfast Show on Thursday, November 6, 2025, Mr. Kotin suggested that possible political pressure prevented earlier action during the previous government’s tenure.
“Was there political pressure, which is why the investigation could not start in 2020?” he asked.
The report, presented by the Interior Minister, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, identified 12 cases of election-related violence during the 2020 and 2024 general elections, resulting in 15 deaths and 40 injuries. The investigation found that armed police patrol teams were responsible for four deaths, while military personnel were linked to three fatalities.
Mr. Kotin acknowledged the positive aspect of the report, noting that it sheds light on the truth behind the violence. He also commended the Minister for the accountability shown in not shielding the officers involved in the damage caused.
“Our institutions must be accountable; that is the bedrock of every democracy,” he stressed.
He also lauded the fact that justice had been initiated, though it had not yet been fully served, noting that “half a loaf is better than none.”
According to him, the report has shown that this government is willing to prosecute its own, which is commendable.
The government has forwarded the report to the Attorney General’s Office for further action and prosecution of those responsible, according to the Interior Minister. Mr. Kotin expressed hope that the government would follow through on its commitment to justice.
