Ghanaian town will be granted autonomy

The Ghanaian government will today grant autonomy to the town of Alavanyo in the Volta region of Western Togoland, with Paramount Chief Togbega Tsedze Atakora VII presiding over the new area.

The move comes after a separatist group, the Western Togoland Restoration Front, declared the region in eastern Ghana an independent state on 1 September. Since declaring independence, the separatists have launched a series of attacks on regional transportation facilities and ordered Ghanaian national police to vacate the area. Separatist sentiments stem from the fact that while the region voted by plebiscite to join Ghana in 1956, it was never within the borders of the former British Gold Coast colony.

Expect intermittent attacks in the coming weeks as the central government tries to quell the insurrection. The movement is unlikely to impact Ghana’s overall COVID-19 economic recovery trajectory or business environment. However, expect to see moderate local impacts, particularly if the movement continues to target transportation infrastructure. While the secessionists have been drawing national attention, the limited scale of the fragmented movement and its condemnation by many local communities, including in Alavanyo, signal that it is unlikely to affect Ghana’s stability in the long-term.