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.
There are currently no known specific threats to travelers or expatriates in Ghana.
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 2 terms as president. Ghana's national security adviser said on May 2001 that authorities were questioning a group of people suspected of plotting against the government. Ghana has been tense since 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.
Since 1989, there has been a steady and serious effort on the part of government to privatize over 300 state owned enterprises that were not profitable. Today, Ghana offers potential investors a stable, multiparty democratic environment as well as a commitment to the philosophy and practice of market liberalization. Ghana's divestiture program, its priority for free enterprise and private sector initiative, as well as various tax incentives to attract foreign capital all contribute towards making Ghana an interesting place to invest.
In 1994-95 land disputes in the north erupted into ethnic violence that resulted in the deaths of 1,000 people and the displacement of a further 150,000.
