Ghana
Formed from the merger of the British colony of the Gold Coast and the Togoland trust territory, Ghana in 1957 became the first country in colonial Africa to gain its independence. A long series of coups resulted in the suspension of the constitution in 1981 and the banning of political parties. A new constitution, restoring multiparty politics, was approved in 1992.
President John Kufuor was elected in December 2000, marking the first real transfer of power through elections in Ghana. Kufuor succeeded Jerry Rawlings who stepped down after running the country for nearly 20 years and serving two terms as president. Tensions arose after President John Kufour's government accused former ministers and officials in of embezzling state funds. Rawlings accused Kufour of conducting a witch-hunt to hide his failures. There has been political stability since.
The main security concern in Ghana is crime (see below). Past land disputes in the north have erupted into ethnic violence that has required troop intervention.
