Western Togoland: 10 members of separatist movement arrested

The Volta Regional Security Council has arrested 10 members of the separatist movement, Homeland Study Group Foundation.

This comes after the group declared parts of Ghana as independent ‘Western Togoland State’.

The leader of the group, 80-year old Charles Komi Kudzordzi, popularly known as Papavi Hobedetor, made the independence declaration at a public gathering in Ho on Saturday, November 16.

He cited the recent omission of roads in the Volta Region from the Critical Roads list in the 2020 budget, as evidence that they have been neglected by the government.

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The government subsequently asked Ghanaians to disregard the declaration and promised to deal with the group.

Speaking to Citi News’ Anass Seidu, the Volta Regional Minister, Dr. Archibald Letsa, said steps are being taken to arrest everyone involved.

In May, about 81 members of the separatist group were arrested for assembling for a protest over the arrest of seven leaders of the Homeland Study Group Foundation.

Charles Kormi Kudzodzi – popularly known as Papa Hogbedetor, had been arrested along with seven others when they first declared their intent to secede at one of the group’s regular study meetings.

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The Attorney General in July 2019 eventually withdrew all charges brought against the members of Homeland Study Group Foundation who were working for the secession of the Volta Region from Ghana.

The group first made calls for the secession of the Volta Region through to parts of the Upper East region.

The group claims that the area was an independent State before being made to join Ghana in the 1956 plebiscite.

Meanwhile, government has slammed the group’s supposed declaration of ‘Western Togoland’ as an independent State.

“The Government of Ghana takes note of the activities of a group known as the Homeland Study Foundation, purporting to declare secession from Ghana.”

“Ghana remains a sovereign state which has not ceded any part of its territory to any person or group of persons.”