Horizons Unlimited - The HUBB - Ghanaian Elections

Thanks for the alert. I'll be glad to hear how things go via your contacts on the ground. Ghana's elections have been mainly peaceful and upbeat during the past few decades, but there's a lot of local variation.

I was riding around on motorbikes during several previous elections. Things were generally calm during the day, but on one occasion I got trapped on a local street in a parade which was starting to turn ugly. That's worth remembering--stuff which seems quite fun and innocuous can turn ugly before you even know it, and as an outsider who doesn't speak the language (Fante? Ga? Twi? Ewe?) your ability to respond appropriately is limited. Free-floating anger, which is everywhere, combined with outsider status as a tourist or overlander, equals the potential for serious trouble.

During another election I was wandering around east of the lake and across the Togo border, making sure to be off the highways and streets before dark. Several times during the morning I came across areas which had clearly been blockaded the night before--burnt tire carcasses and other forms of trash strewn across the highways, and sometimes worse. I listened carefully to rumors of widespread violence--bus and taxi drivers are better sources for such information than anyone else--and chose not to go further north into the areas with ongoing tribal violence and to steer clear of the big cities.

I was also in C.I. during the 2000 elections and unrest. That was a lot more intimidating, given historical tensions and the prevalence of armed factions and tribal tension. But it's easy to forget that Ghana has seen equivalent instability in the recent past which might easily be repeated.

Enjoy your trip south! I'll look forward to hearing the details.

best,

Mark