Two protesters shot dead in Ghana
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The protesters were demonstrating against the death of a youth activist, Ibrahim "Kaaka" Mohammed, when they were confronted by police and soldiers on Tuesday in the town of Ejura.
Two protesters were shot dead and four were wounded in clashes with security forces in Ghana's southern Ashanti region, police and a health official said Wednesday.
The protesters were demonstrating against the death of a youth activist, Ibrahim "Kaaka" Mohammed, when they were confronted by police and soldiers on Tuesday in the town of Ejura.
"Two people died during the clashes," said police spokesman Godwin Ahianyo.
Police were investigating the incident and calm had been restored to the area, he said.
A health official confirmed that two people died and four were injured.
"One died before arrival. We tried to resuscitate the other but he died later," said Manyee Mensah, medical superintendent at the Ejura Government Hospital.
"Currently, we have four injured persons... One is in a critical condition but the other three are stable," Mensah told AFP by phone.
Gunmen killed Mohammed, an outspoken critic of the government on social media, near his house in a suburb of Ejura on Sunday.
Police said they had arrested two suspects in connection with his death.
"We’re on top of issues and I want to assure the public everything is under control," Ahianyo said.
President Nana Akufo-Addo ordered a government report on the incident within 10 days.
The statement from his office said the president was "deeply saddened" by the deaths of Mohammed and two others, assumed to be the protesters.
Akufo-Addo won a second term last December, but with only a small majority in parliament, and has been under pressure from political opponents.
Faced with mounting public debt and severely hit by the coronavirus pandemic, the government introduced new taxes in a bid to boost the economy.
An increase in the price of fuel led to knock-on hikes to some essential goods and services.
Parts of Ghana have also suffered from power outages in recent months, and there has been in increase in daylight robberies in the capital Accra.
In response, a number of Ghanaians have taken to Twitter to demand change, using the hashtag #FixTheCountry.
Citing Covid-19 restrictions, police secured a court injunction and blocked a planned protest in May, but discontent has continued to simmer.