On September 22, a day after Ghana marked Founder’s Day, the Economic Fighters’ League (Fighters) led a protest in Accra to rally for a united Africa.
Commander in Chief Ernesto Yeboah connected Africa’s divisions to pressing national problems like illegal mining (galamsey) and resource exploitation, arguing that Ghana’s struggles are a symptom of a disunited continent.
Speaking to a crowd gathered in honour of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first president and a staunch advocate for Pan-Africanism, Mr Yeboah said Nkrumah’s vision of a united Africa “has not been realised.”
He contended that galamsey’s destruction of Ghana’s water bodies and the theft of its resources are a direct consequence of a divided continent lacking collective strength.
The African Dream, Denied
Mr Yeboah drew a parallel between Ghana’s plight and the ongoing exploitation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a country that holds an estimated 70% of the world’s cobalt reserves.
He noted that despite its immense wealth, the people of Congo have not benefited, as “the colonial thieves have taken over and are rather milking the resources of Congo.”
According to a 2023 Amnesty International report, the expansion of industrial-scale cobalt mines has led to human rights abuses, including forced evictions, sexual assault, and beatings, while the Congolese people continue to live in poverty.
This, Mr Yeboah argued, is the “exact story that befalls us” if Africans do not unite.
Denouncing Afrophobia
The protest also addressed what Mr Yeboah called “Afrophobic commentary and sentiments” in Ghana.
He specifically condemned comments made by politician Hassan Ayariga, who had criticised Nigerians in Ghana after a self-styled Igbo chief in Ghana made comments building an Igbo Kingdom in Ghana.
Mr Yeboah labelled sentiments by Mr Ayariga that had resulted in hate as being led by people with “no dignity”.
Mr Yeboah also pointed to a recent demonstration by the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) against foreign traders, especially Nigerians engaged in “petty trading”, questioning the hypocrisy of the sentiment.
He highlighted the existence of China Mall and other Chinese businesses that engage in similar trading, noting that Ghanaians “go there and buy goods from there and sell to ourselves because they are cheaper.”
He questioned, “Why do we hate ourselves so much?” arguing that such divisions undermine the solidarity needed to tackle common problems.
Mr Yeboah’s message was a powerful reminder that Nkrumah’s vision was not merely historical but an urgent necessity for the continent to reclaim its resources and dignity.
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