Kumasi, Ghana- By: Evans Osei-Bonsu
The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has issued a blistering condemnation of ongoing assaults against journalists in the country, warning of a nationwide media blackout on police-related activities and global exposure of military personnel if justice is not served within seven days.
In a hard-hitting statement delivered at a news conference in Accra on Thursday, July 31, 2025, GJA President, Albert Dwumfuor decried the persistent and escalating attacks on journalists by security operatives, describing the situation as a full-blown assault on democracy.
Dwumfuor accused both the police and military of shielding officers who have brutalised journalists, and warned that the media will no longer be passive in the face of “state-protected aggression.” He demanded swift prosecution, public accountability, and systemic reforms — or face severe consequences.
“If the Ghana Police Service fails to act decisively within the next seven days, the GJA will announce a nationwide media blackout of all police-related activities. We will instruct our members to withhold coverage, refuse participation in police press briefings, and suspend all editorial engagement involving the police,” he declared.
Citing multiple recent incidents—including the assault of journalists during the Ablekuma North parliamentary rerun and the violent detention of JoyNews reporter Carlos Calony and his cameraman during the McDan warehouse demolition—Dwumfuor said the silence and inaction of the security institutions was dangerous and unacceptable.
“Charging is not justice. Issuing statements is not enough. If within seven days we do not see arrests, prosecutions, and real accountability, we will instruct all media houses to boycott police activities nationwide,” he declared.
But the GJA’s warning did not stop at the police. Dwumfuor took direct aim at the military, demanding they publicly expose and punish soldiers involved in the assault and detention of journalists during the McDan demolition. He said failure to do so would trigger global repercussions for the Armed Forces.
“We therefore urge—or better still, warn—the Ghana Armed Forces: furnish us or publish the full details of the soldiers involved in this unfortunate act within 7 days,” he stated firmly. “Failure on their part to expose and sanction the said perpetrators of this crime will also have damning consequences.”
The GJA says it will escalate its response by petitioning international bodies such as the United Nations, the African Union, and ECOWAS to blacklist implicated officers from international deployments. The Association also plans to work with foreign embassies to push for visa bans against violators, and will publicly name, shame, and label offending officers as “Enemies of Democracy and Press Freedom” on front pages, online platforms, and social media.
“This is not a symbolic protest,” Dwumfuor stressed. “This is about survival. The media will not continue to cover those who brutalise them. Journalism is not a crime, and any attempt to silence the press will be fiercely resisted.”
