20 Ghanaians Detained In Gabon

More than 20 Ghanaians are currently being detained in the capital of Gabon, Libreville, for allegedly entering that country illegally.

They were arrested on March 12 as part of a move by the Gabonese authorities to clamp down on illegal immigration. A statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Accra said that 50 other Ghanaians, who had been arrested earlier in Gabon and held in detention under very harsh conditions, had already been repatriated. The statement said that since Ghana had no diplomatic presence in Gabon, the Ghana embassy in Luanda, Angola, had been liaising with members of the Ghanaian community in Gabon to cater for the feeding and health needs of the detainees.

However, the statement said, both the mission and the Ghanaian Association in Gabon were overstretched logistically and were, therefore, not in a position to continue to offer the required level of assistance. The Ministry, therefore, advised the families of the detainees and of those awaiting repatriation to take note of this and “to get ready to receive their relatives and to cater for them.”