CDD-Ghana Demands Probe Into Unresolved 2020 and 2024 Election Violence Cases

The Ghana Centre for Democratic Development, CDD-Ghana, is calling on authorities to investigate and resolve all outstanding cases of electoral violence from the 2020 and 2024 general elections.

The think tank says lasting peace in Ghana will not be possible without justice for victims and accountability for those behind the attacks.

Speaking at an inter-party dialogue organized by the National Peace Council in Accra, *Paul Kwabena Aborampah*, Programmes Manager for Security Sector Governance and Local & Urban Governance at CDD-Ghana, said families who lost loved ones are still living with trauma.

“*You can’t have peace without justice and people whose relatives have been affected are still in the system. They probably know people who committed the crime so anytime there are elections, it seems to ginger them to retaliate*,” he told journalists.

Mr. Aborampah pointed to Ghana’s post-military national reconciliation process as a model. He noted that even without financial compensation, giving victims the chance to share their stories brought them some measure of closure.

“*As Ghana had national reconciliation post-military regime era, people were not compensated but having opportunity to tell their story, they were satisfied. So we believe conducting these investigations and bringing the perpetrators to book, even if we don’t extract any compensation for the family, they will be okay telling their stories*,” he said.

He argued that probing the unresolved cases and prosecuting those responsible would help address grievances and restore public trust in the country’s democratic process.

Mr. Aborampah also warned about what he described as continuous political friction. He said attacks and personal criticisms are now happening beyond election periods and are taking attention away from development.

“*We are witnessing unending political frictions which of course is dangerous for us. It stalls governance, redirects attention and focus. While citizens are talking about development trajectory and peace... we will be concentrating on personal assassination, attacks and criticisms*,” he added.