The International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, marked annually on November 2, has highlighted the lack of accountability in the killing of Ghanaian journalist Ahmed Hussein-Suale Divela. Divela, a member of the investigative outlet Tiger Eye PI, was murdered near his family home in Accra, Ghana’s capital, in January 2019 after receiving threats.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called for global solidarity in demanding justice for Divela’s killing. According to CPJ Africa Director Angela Quintal, the Ghanaian authorities’ failure to identify and hold accountable those responsible for the murder is outrageous. Quintal emphasized that the lack of accountability in Divela’s case, as well as in those of other Ghanaian journalists who have been attacked, deserves global attention.
Divela’s family remains hopeful that justice will be delivered, particularly given Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama’s pledge to ensure accountability. However, in the years since Divela’s killing, several people have been arrested and released in connection with the case due to insufficient evidence. Last month, Ghana’s attorney general closed the investigation into a suspect arrested in March, citing lack of evidence.
The CPJ has documented a pattern of impunity for attacks on the press in Ghana and has written to President Mahama about the country’s press freedom record. The organization’s efforts to obtain comment from the attorney general’s office were unsuccessful, with an email request going unanswered and a phone call to a listed number not connecting.
The case of Ahmed Hussein-Suale Divela highlights the need for greater accountability and protection for journalists in Ghana. The CPJ’s call for global solidarity in demanding justice for Divela’s killing serves as a reminder of the importance of press freedom and the need to end impunity for crimes against journalists. As the international community continues to advocate for press freedom, the case of Divela and other journalists who have been attacked or killed serves as a stark reminder of the challenges that remain in ensuring justice and accountability for these crimes.