The Central Region recorded the most count of violent incidents in January to March 2023. It recorded 23 incidents representing 28% of total incidents. This is the second time in a row that the Central region has led in the violent count on regional basis. In November to December 2022, the Central Region led the chart with 16 incidents representing 38% of total incidents.

1. VIOLENT INCIDENTS IN GHANA
A MEDIA MONITORING REPORT
1st Qtr. January-March 2023
By: Foundation for Security and Development in Africa (FOSDA)

2. Executive Summary
From FOSDA’s 1st
quarter 2023 monitoring of violent incidents in Ghana, the number of violent
incidents tracked amounted to eighty-two (82).
The overall breakdown of cases monitored during the current period includes;
1. Physical Violence - 51 cases, representing 62%
2. Gun Violence - 31 cases, representing 38%
3. Sexual Violence - 0 cases
4. Psychological Violence – 0 cases
5. Social Violence – 0 cases
6. Economic Violence – 0 cases
7. Political Violence – 0 cases.
Central Region leads the incident count after recording 23 incidents which contributed 29% of total
incidents whiles Ashanti Region followed with 15 incidents, representing 18%. Western Region (8)
incidents contributed 10%. Two regions that is, Greater Accra and Eastern Regions recorded 6
incidents each which represents 7% for each. The Savannah Region recorded 4 incidents representing
5%. Additionally, four regions that is Bono, North East, Volta and Western North each recorded 3
incidents representing 4% each. Also, Upper East, Oti and Bono East recorded 2 incidents each
representing 2% each. Northern and Ahafo regions recorded 1 incident each representing 1% each.
The Upper West region did not record a violent incident.
A total of 68 injuries and 58 deaths occurred during the period under review. Overall, 34 men
representing 50% were injured compared to 3 children and 4 women. A similar observation is seen in
the number of deaths where 49 representing 84% of the victims were men, women who died were 5
which constituted 9% and children who also died were 2 representing 3%. The monitoring shows that,
the direct impact of violent incidents on men are higher compared to women and children. During
the monitoring period details of 27 cases of injures and 2 cases of deaths reported were not provided.
Overall, the combined total of casualties on women, children and the category not specified is twice
the total casualties suffered by men.

3. VIOLENT INCIDENTS IN GHANA
A MEDIA MONITORING REPORT
1.1 General Overview
This media monitoring report covers a period of 3months i.e., January to March 2023, a total of eighty-
two (82) violent incidents were reported by ten (10) 1
media houses including online and print media
sources. The monitoring focused on seven (7) major categories of violence; Economic, Physical, Gun,
Sexual and Psychological, Political and Social violence. Only two categories of violence were
recorded in this specific monitoring period, i.e. Physical Violence with 51 cases, representing 62%.
Thirty-one (31) of the incidents representing 38% of the total incidents were gun related. The
remaining categories did not record any incident.
Between January to March 2023, reports of violent incidents by the selected media source decreased
substantially from a total of 38 violent incidents in the month of January 2023 to 21 incidents in
February 2023 resulting in a 45% decline in the rate of violent incidents for the period. In March, 2023
it picked up a little with 2 incidents.
1
There were 10 main monitoring sources including 1 print media i.e., Daily Graphic

4. Table 1: Record of Violent Incidents from January-March 2023
Category of violence # of reported incidents
January-March 2023
%
Physical Violence 51 62%
Gun Violence 31 38%
Sexual Violence 0 0%
Psychological Violence 0 0%
Social Violence 0 0%
Economic Violence 0 0%
Political Violence 0 0%
Total 82 100%

5. 1.2 Regional Distribution of Violent Incidents Monitored
Central Region recorded 23 incidents which contributed 29% of total incidents whiles Ashanti Region
recorded 15 incidents, representing 18%. The count of incidents in the Western Region was 8 which
contributed 10%. Two regions that is, Greater Accra and Eastern Regions recorded 6 incidents each
which represents 7% for each. The Savannah Region recorded 4 incidents representing 5%.
Additionally, four regions that is Bono, North East, Volta and Western North each recorded 3 incidents
representing 4% each. Also, Upper East, Oti and Bono East recorded 2 incidents each representing 2%
each. Northern and Ahafo regions recorded 1 incident each representing 1% each. The Upper West
region did not record a violent incident.
This is the first time since August 2022 that the Bono East region has recorded a violent incident.
Regional Breakdown of the total reported violent incidents are as represented in the table 2 below.
Table 2: Regional Breakdown of the total reported violent incidents
Region of Violence # of reported incidents
January-March 2023
%
Central Region 23 29%,
Ashanti Region 15 18%
Western Region 8 10%
Greater Accra Region 6 7%
Bono Region 3 5%
Eastern Region 6 7%
North East Region 3 4%
Volta Region 3 4%
Savannah Region 4 5%
Upper East Region 2 2%
Western North Region 3 4%

6. Northern Region 1 1%
Oti Region 2 2%
Ahafo Region 1 2%
Bono East Region 2 1%
Upper West Region 0 0%
Total 82 100%
In this monitoring period, Central Region leads the incident count after recording 23 incidents. Ashanti
follows with 15 incidents. The remaining 14 regions recorded single digit violent incidents.
In the current monitoring (Jan-March 2023), the zonal breakdown shows that the Coastal regions
(Greater Accra, Central, Western and Volta) recorded the highest counts with 40 incidents representing
49%. The middle zone (Ashanti, Eastern, Oti, Western North, Bono and Ahafo) followed with 31
incidents representing 38%. The Northern regions (Upper East, Upper West, North East, Savannah
and Northern) contributed 11 incidents representing 13%.
From this point of view, it can be observed that violence in Ghana is prevalent in the Coastal and
Middle zones. Comparatively, the Northern zone is relatively low on violent incidents.

7. 1.3 CASUALTIES RECORDED
A total of 68 injuries and 58 deaths occurred during the period under review. Out of the total injuries,
thirty-one (31) men representing 50% were affected compared to 3 children representing 4% and 4
women representing 6%. A similar observation is seen in the number of death where 49 men
representing 84% were recorded to have died, women who died were 5 represented 9% and children
who died were 2 representing 3%. The monitoring shows that, the direct impact of violent incidents

8. on men is higher compared to women and children. During the monitoring period details of 27 (40%)
cases of injures and 2 (3%) cases of deaths reported were not provided.
Overall, the combined total of casualties on women, children and the category not specified is twice
the total casualties suffered by men.
1.4 Gun Violence
There was a total of 31-gun related violence during the monitoring period. Nineteen (19) of these gun
incidents occurred in the month of January, eight (8) in the month of February and four (4) in March.
A total of twelve (12) out of 16 regions experienced gun related violence. They include Central Region
(6), Western (5), Ashanti (4), Upper East (2), Western North (2), Volta (2), North East (2), Savannah
(3), Greater Accra (1), Eastern (1), Ahafo (1) and Bono East (2).

9. The outcome of the monitoring shows the Central Region lead with 6 incidents.
1.5 Physical Violence
Physical violence recorded 51 out of a total 82 cases. The physical violent incidents occurred in 12
out of 16 regions. Central region leads again with 17 cases representing 33%, followed by Ashanti
region with 11 cases (22%), Two regions i.e Greater Accra and Eastern regions each with 5 cases
representing 10% each. Similarly, 2 regions i.e Bono and Western Regions recorded a 3 cases each
representing 6% each. Oti region recorded 2 incidents contributing 4%. Five regions including North
East, Volta, Savannah, Northern and Western North Regions recorded 1 incident each representing
2% each.

10. There were no physical violence incidents in 4 regions i.e., Ahafo, Upper East, Upper West and Bono
East regions. The figure below shows the count and share of physical violence from a regional point
of view.
2.0 Conclusions
Physical and gun related violence continue to dominate the media monitoring of violent incidents.
From January ending to March 2023 violent incidents decreased by 15 cases with the Central region
leading on both Physical and Gun related counts. Central region and Ashanti regions continue to
contribute double digit violent incidents to the violent incident chart. Additionally, with the exception
of Upper West Region all regions in the country experienced a violent incident.
Importantly, men are the most affected group of people from the violent incident recorded during the
period.

11. APPENDIX
Table 1: Gun related violence tracked during Jan-March 2023 monitoring period
Month on
Gun Incident
Region Description of Gun Violent Incident
January Central Region A suspect in relation to violence at NDC youth and women’s
congress shot in leg after opening fire on a police officer
during his arrest.
January North East
Region
one person shot dead while two others have been injured in a
suspected robbery attack
January Ahafo Region One person has reportedly been shot dead and several others
injured following a chieftaincy dispute.
January Savannah
Region
One person has been shot after an altercation between some
youth and police.
January Central Region Police have gunned down a suspect involved in an attack on a
vendor after he tried fleeing from arrest
January Central Region Hunter arrested for shooting dead a palm wine tapper on his
farm.
January Savannah
Region
8 youths have sustained various degrees of gunshot wounds
following a clash between Police.
January Western Region Taxi driver shot dead in his car. Police are yet to disclose
results of their investigation
January Volta Region A 35-year-old man, shot by a yet-to-be-identified military man
during a confrontation
January Ashanti Region A 43-year-old farmer shot his friend to death over allegedly
having affairs with his wife
January Central Region Three construction workers have been injured after suspected
land guards shot them.
January Central Region A 35-year-old assistant headmaster shot in the eye in a bush
near a teachers’ bungalow.
January Bono East
Region
A driver of a commercial bus has sustained multiple gunshot
wounds during a robbery attack.
January Western North
Region
Three persons have sustained gunshot wounds from stray
bullets during a demonstration to prevent the opening of the
Mensin Mines.
January Western Region A farmer in his late 40s has been arrested for shooting his son
over the deceased’s bad attitude
January Greater Accra
Region
A 25-year-old man has been shot dead by some military men,
while two others injured during a dispute over land
January Central Region A security guard has sustained multiple gunshot wounds after
he was shot by some robbers at a quarry site.
January Western Region A gold dealer and two others have been shot dead by armed
robbers
January Western North
Region
Five persons have been injured in a clash between residents and
military guards of a mining company
February Eastern Region 54 year old farmer has allegedly been shot dead by police

12. February Upper East
Region
One person has been shot dead in the ongoing ethnic conflicts
February Western Region A 42-year-old hunter has shot his brother dead after mistaking
him for an animal during a hunt
February Volta Region Police have gunned down three robbers during a robbery
operation.
February Upper East
Region
Three drivers transporting vegetables have been shot dead with
several others sustaining injuries after unknown gunmen
opened fire on the cargo trucks
February Ashanti Region One illegal miner injured after some police officers allegedly
shot him in a renewed clash with community youth
February Ashanti Region One person dead and three others injured following gunshots at
a funeral ground
February North East
Region
Two people have been shot dead while two others sustained
gunshot wounds in a chieftaincy dispute that destroyed several
properties.
March Ashanti Region Armed robbers exchange gunshots with Police
March Bono East
Region
Bus driver shot dead by robbers
March Savannah
Region
75-year-old chief shot dead while his son is in critical condition
following a shooting incident.
March Western Region Leader of a notorious gang who has allegedly been terrorizing
illegal miners has been shot dead while other members suffered
injuries
Media Portals where Monitoring was Conducted
# Nature Source
1 Online www.adomonline.com
2 Online www.citinewsroom.com
3 Online www.peacefmonline
4 Online www.myjoyonline.com
5 Online www.3news.com
6 Print & online www.graphic.com.gh | Daily Graphic
7 Online www.starrfm.com
8 Online www.dailyguidenetwork.com
9 Online www.gna.com/
10 Online www.ghanaweb.com

13. About the FOSDA Violent Incidents Monitoring
The FOSDA Violent Incidents Monitoring is a media-based monitoring that focuses on 7 types of
broad-based violence i.e., Physical (including gun violence), Political Violence, Social Violence,
Economic Violence, Sexual Violence and Psychological Violence and places where they occur. The
target sources of monitoring are mainly the most sought-after online media news outlets. This is
completed by reportage in the print media. The monitoring offers an opportunity for analysis, mapping
and policy options on these incidents as they impact human security. A call on key stakeholders to act
is the ultimate intent.