Ghana News

Pregnant Ghanaian Woman and Son Detained at Dules International Airport For Over a Week Released

Published

2 months ago

May 30, 2026

A pregnant Ghanaian woman and her 4-year-old son, who spent more than a week confined to a windowless room at Washington Dulles International Airport after arriving on valid tourist visas, are on a flight back to Ghana following a federal judge’s order on Friday, May 29, 2026, according to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Virginia.

CNN reports that hours before the flight departed, U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema stated in her order that “the welfare of the petitioners and the interests of justice are best served by allowing petitioners to return home immediately.”

At an earlier hearing in Alexandria, Virginia, Brinkema had told the U.S. government that Anabella Gyasi, 38, and her son must be released from the holding room at the airport before the end of the day.

“She cannot spend tonight at Dulles,” said Brinkema, a Clinton nominee to the federal bench, per CNN reporting. “One way or another, we’re going to get her out.”

Gyasi came to the United States on a tourist visa after securing an appointment at Akron Children’s Hospital in Ohio for her son to be evaluated for possible surgery to address severe physical abnormalities affecting his fingers on both hands.

The family had traveled to the U.S. for treatment two years earlier, but Gyasi was told her child was too young for surgery at that time. Their tourist visas expire in 2028, according to the habeas petition filed by the ACLU.

World Bank Approves $500 Million to Upgrade Ghana’s Rural Roads and Boost Agricultural Connectivity

Instead of being able to board her connecting flight to Ohio, Gyasi – who is four and a half months pregnant – and her son were taken into custody after she “disclosed her fear of returning to Ghana based on the persecution she and her son faced” during questioning by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. They were then “locked in a holding room” at the airport and “denied adequate food and medical care,” the petition alleged.

Mother hospitalized twice during detention

Gyasi was hospitalized twice over the past week, initially for lightheadedness and then for vaginal bleeding, which doctors attributed to high stress and high blood pressure. Medical staff “were concerned that she was not eating enough and fed her. They even gave her food to take back with her,” her attorneys alleged in court documents. Gyasi told officials she and her son were not familiar with food in the U.S., and it was making her sick and weak.

Four days after her arrival – and after repeated requests for more food – the petition said Gyasi agreed to be deported, “fearing that she might lose her unborn child.”

“Because I’m pregnant, I am getting weaker and weaker by the day,” she told a CBP officer, according to an official transcript. Her son had “spent much of the day crying because of his hunger pains,” and CBP officers allegedly denied her request to purchase food, “saying she could only access the food they gave her.”

However, after she initially agreed to drop her asylum request, officers “offered to get her whatever food she wanted” and let her and her son shower for the first time since their detention, according to the petition. Gyasi’s attorneys said her agreement for self-deportation was prompted by “desperation for the health and well-being” of her son and her unborn child, and that she did “not wish to relinquish their asylum claims.”

Government denies mistreatment allegations

The Department of Homeland Security has denied the allegations of mistreatment, with a spokesperson stating that “everyone in CBP custody, including this individual, has access to appropriate care, including medical evaluation by a doctor, medication, and food.” The government also argued that Gyasi’s tourist visa was not valid because she “admitted under oath … her intent was not to leave the United States to return to Ghana.”

Gyasi said in a statement to immigration authorities under oath that she had been researching the possibility of claiming asylum “for the past 2 years,” after officers examined her phone and found a history of searches on the topic, according to a CBP officer. Her attorneys argue she is being punished for her honesty.

“If she did not disclose the fear that she was having about persecution in her country, she could have still entered on the tourist visas,” said Eden Heilman, Gyasi’s lead attorney with the ACLU of Virginia. “Unfortunately, because she was honest and shared her concerns, that’s what funneled her into this separate asylum-seeker category.”

After an immigration judge denied her asylum request on Wednesday, making it virtually impossible for Gyasi and her son to remain in the country, her legal team shifted focus to her well-being.

“We were very pleased that the judge recognized one fundamental principle, which is that human beings should not be detained under the conditions our client was being detained at Dulles Airport in a windowless room without access to appropriate food or medical care,” said Mary Bauer, executive director of the ACLU of Virginia.

Although Gyasi’s hopes that she and her son could remain in the United States were dashed, the judge insisted on one thing: no more nights in a windowless room.

“She’s not gonna spend tonight at Dulles,” Brinkema reiterated at the end of the hearing.

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Ghana News

Top 10 Front-Page Headlines From Ghanaian Newspapers: Tuesday, July 14, 2026

Published

6 hours ago

July 14, 2026

GNG Staff

Here are the top 10 headlines dominating the Ghanaian press on Tuesday, July 14, 2026.

Nation mourns Ya‑Na Abukari II – Daily Graphic
(President Akufo‑Addo, Bawumia and others pay tribute to the late Overlord of Dagbon)
Miracles Aboagye arrested over alleged misappropriation, misapplication, diversion and theft of public funds amounting to about GHc55 million; granted GHc50m bail by EOCO – Daily Post
Ghana nears completion of external debt restructuring – The Business Analyst
(also highlighted as “Gov’t takes final step in external debt restructuring” in Business & Financial Times)
Pro‑Bawumia candidates win 92% constituency executives elections in Ashanti region – The New Trust
Clean‑Up Exercise: GJA Commends Govt, Zoomlion & Media – Day Break
(similar headline in The Business Analyst)
Airport Security Goes High‑Tech – No more removing laptops, belts or shoes with new security scanners – The Hawk
Accra Will Bounce Back After June 29 Flood Disaster – Mahama – The Dispatch
Hon. Felicia Adjei meets Libyan Authorities to address plight of Ghanaian irregular migrants – The Overseer
(also covered as “Kintampo South MP visits Libya” in The Business Analyst)
Eoco’s Bail Conditions Cruel and Oppressive – Rule of Law Is Upside Down – Atta Akyea – The Metro Lens
Bawumia Has No Preferred Candidates in NPP Regional National Executive Race – Punch

Ghana News

Yaa Naa Mahama Abukari II: Influential Traditional Ruler Who Restored Peace to Dagbon After 16-Year Dispute Dies

Published

1 day ago

July 13, 2026

GNG Staff

Yaa Naa Mahama Abukari II, the traditional king (Overlord) of Dagbon in northern Ghana, has died.

Enskinned in January 2019, he played a central role in ending a long-running 16-year chieftaincy dispute between two royal factions that had divided the kingdom and disrupted traditional activities for years.

Born Bukali in Mion, the late king began his leadership journey as chief of Kpunkpono before ascending to the influential Savelugu skin.

His selection as Yaa Naa marked a historic moment of reconciliation in Dagbon, one of Ghana’s most important traditional kingdoms.

His passing, confirmed by multiple credible sources on Monday, July 13, is expected to trigger widespread mourning across the region, with many reflecting on his contributions to peace and the restoration of stability in northern Ghana.

Yaa Naa’s Legacy

Ascending to the throne as the 41st Overlord (or 42nd by some regional counts) in January 2019, his brief but transformative reign brought stability back to one of Ghana’s oldest and most influential traditional kingdoms.

The core pillars of his legacy include:

The Restoration of Peace and Reconciliation
The defining achievement of his reign was ending the deeply polarizing, 17-year-long Dagbon chieftaincy dispute.

Following the tragic 2002 assassination of his predecessor, Yaa Naa Yakubu Andani II, the kingdom was fractured into two rival royal gates: the Abudus and the Andanis.

Working alongside the government-backed Committee of Eminent Chiefs, his enskinment in 2019 healed these generational wounds. He successfully united both factions, restoring the moral and spiritual authority of the skins of Yendi and bringing long-awaited political stability to Northern Ghana.

Institutional and Constitutional Reforms
Yaa Naa Mahama Abukari II recognized that lasting peace required strong legal frameworks.

In 2020, he initiated a comprehensive review of the Dagbon Constitution to clarify customary successions and prevent future royal disputes.

Under his guidance, the revised constitution was formally adopted by the Dagbon Traditional Council in 2022, providing a clear roadmap for future generations.

Socio-Economic and Cultural Development
He actively worked to move Dagbon away from conflict and toward regional prosperity.

Dagbon Development Fund (DDF): Launched in 2021, this fund was designed to channel resources directly into economic development, healthcare, and educational infrastructure across the kingdom.

Gbewaa Palace Redevelopment: In March 2023, he initiated the physical reconstruction and modernization of the historic Gbewaa Palace in Yendi, a symbolic rebuilding of the kingdom’s beating heart.

International Partnerships: He championed human capital growth by facilitating institutional collaborations, such as the 2024 educational partnership between Tamale Technical University (TaTU) and Bursa Technical University in Turkey.

Humanitarian and National Leadership
As the President of the Northern Regional House of Chiefs, he extended his influence far beyond his immediate kingdom to foster national unity.

He was highly regarded for his philanthropy, notably sending substantial agricultural relief (including hundreds of bags of maize, rice, and yams) to help communities displaced by the devastating 2023 Volta Region floods and parts of the Savannah Region.

Ultimately, Yaa Naa Mahama Abukari II went from a quiet, respected regional chief of Savelugu to the “Lion of Gbewaa” who chose healing over division. He leaves behind a peaceful, structured, and forward-looking Dagbon Kingdom.

Ghana News

‘Don’t Blame Migrants’: UN Warns South Africa as ‘Cruel’ Deportations Surpass 53,000

Published

1 day ago

July 13, 2026

GNG Staff

The United Nations has issued a sharp warning against using migrants as scapegoats for South Africa’s socioeconomic challenges, as the government confirmed that more than 53,000 foreign nationals have been deported or repatriated in just five weeks.

Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi announced on Sunday that 53,499 foreign nationals have been processed for deportation and voluntary repatriation since the launch of a nationwide “migration management” campaign in mid-June.

The crackdown, one of South Africa’s largest in years that many across the world are condemning as cruel and inhumane, follows weeks of anti-immigration protests marked by violence, intimidation, and looting.

Malawians Bear the Brunt

According to official figures, Malawian citizens accounted for over 80 percent of those processed, followed by nationals from Zimbabwe and Mozambique. The Temporary Repatriation Processing Centre in Musina, Limpopo Province, has processed nearly 2,500 people, most of them Malawian and Zimbabwean nationals. Several countries, including Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda, and Kenya, have flown their citizens home in recent weeks.

UN: Migrants Are Not the Problem

The UN has cautioned against conflating migration with South Africa’s deep-rooted challenges of unemployment, inequality, and service delivery failures. Anti-migrant activists have accused undocumented foreigners of driving crime and taking jobs, but the UN and civil society groups argue that foreign workers—who make up only about 5 percent of the population—are being unfairly scapegoated.

“Now, in what universe can you scapegoat 4% to 5% of the population for all our problems?” economist Duma Gqubule said recently, dismissing the anti-migrant stance as “mass hallucination”.

Organizations defending migrants’ rights emphasize that foreign workers have become convenient targets in a country where the unemployment rate exceeds 30 percent and disproportionately affects Black South Africans.

Vigilante Threats and a “Deadline” That Passed

Anti-migrant activists had set an unofficial 30 June deadline for all undocumented migrants to leave the country, prompting thousands to flee in fear. Protesters—including leaders from groups such as March and March—have threatened to stage weekly demonstrations until the government meets their demands. There are mounting fears that the protests could turn violent again.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has acknowledged public concerns about immigration but has condemned attacks against migrants and warned citizens against taking the law into their own hands. Minister Kubayi also cautioned that protesters must not conduct unauthorised searches of homes and businesses suspected of sheltering undocumented migrants.

Government Defends Enforcement, Signals Scaling Down

Kubayi said the deportation process has helped authorities apprehend individuals wanted for criminal activity, and that the government remains committed to “observing human rights and dignity of all people in our country, irrespective of their citizenship”. She added that authorities will continue enforcing immigration laws.

However, the government is reportedly considering scaling back the campaign as the number of repatriations increases.

“We envisage a phased scaling down of the process which will not negatively impact or compromise the deportation and repatriation processes we are undertaking,” a government source told Business Day.