Amnesty International has condemned a demolition exercise in one of the biggest slums in Ghana’s capital in which thousands of people have been left homeless during lockdown.
The demolition was carried out by the government at Old Fadama, popularly known as Sodom and Gomorrah, to pave way for the dredging of a nearby lagoon.
The slum is home to the largest electronic waste dumpsite in Ghana where millions of discarded electronic gadgets are dismantled each year causing severe pollution of the nearby Korle Lagoon.
Amnesty International has described the demolition exercise as “untimely and insensitive”.
They have urged the government to respect international human rights as they take measures to deal with the spread of the virus.
They are also demanding an immediate stop to further demolition of parts of the slum and have called for alternative homes for those affected.
The government has said that the exercise was done with the consent of the community leaders.
Ghana’s borders remain shut in an attempt to limit the spread of coronavirus. It is in the final stages of a one-week extended partial lockdown.
Ghana has recorded 641 cases of the virus and eight deaths.
– BBC
