A United States diplomat has warned of a possible interference in Ghana’s upcoming general elections, suggesting that the democratic process may be targeted by what he described as “foreign malign actors”.
According to Kevin Brosnahan, who is the Press Attaché at the US Embassy in Ghana, these actors are poised to use disinformation campaigns to influence the December 7 general elections due to the country’s support for Ukraine and its stance on democracy in the Africa region.
While acknowledging that disinformation has not been widespread in Ghana, Brosnahan noted the combination of Ghana’s vocal support for democracy in the region, its support for Ukraine, and the prevailing regional dynamics within the subregion will increase the likelihood of Ghana and its electoral processes being targeted this year.
“In this election year…Ghana’s outspoken support for democracy in the region, vocal support for Ukraine at the UN Security Council, and regional dynamics, raises the possibility that Ghana and its elections will be targeted this year,” he warned.
Mr. Brosnahan gave the warning in Tamale last Wednesday during a public discussion on countering misinformation and disinformation to promote peace, security and development in northern Ghana.
It was organised by the non-profit organisation, Savana Signatures, under its Roundtable Series which highlights developmental issues for public discourse on how to address them.
Citing a report from the African Centre for Strategic Studies, Mr Brosnahan highlighted a surge in disinformation campaigns by foreign actors across West Africa since 2022, indicating it has gone up by four-folds.
He observed that these foreign actors leverage disinformation to erode trust in governments, sow uncertainty within communities, and exploit societal vulnerabilities, just to undermine peace and security.
The Press Attaché underscored the threats disinformation poses to democracy, stating, “democracy thrives on truth and the free flow of information but when voters receive and believe in disinformation, they can be coerced into making decisions that are against their own interest”.
He highlighted past instances in West Africa where massive disinformation campaigns have caused governments to be toppled and undermined democratic governments.
“I’m not saying these governments were perfect, but disinformation accelerated their downfall,” he stated, and added that “most of these countries by any measure, are worst of today than they were before the coup”.
AI fuelling deepfakes
Touching on how technology has fuelled disinformation, Mr Brosnahan noted the growth of artificial intelligence in the last six years has resulted in what he termed the creation of deepfake videos and audios, which are which are being spread on platforms like WhatsApp and social media.
These deepfake videos and audios, he said, have become a concern because they “could potentially change an election or get people not to vote”.
The Press Attaché emphasised the need for a collective action against misinformation and disinformation because they are “a huge threat to democracy” as well as peace, security and development.
Mr Brosnahan urged Ghanaians to exercise caution, by first pausing to think and verify whatever information they receive before proceeding to share to a wider audience, adding: “We have to hold bad actors accountable by calling them out on their malign, disinformation activities”.
He indicated that there are ongoing efforts by the US Embassy to enhance information resilience among stakeholders, including training journalists in fact-checking and promoting media literacy, particularly among youth and social media users.
He commended Savana Signatures for organising the discussion on such an important topic.
CSOs need to be intentional in their efforts
Delivering on the role of CSOs in countering misinformation and disinformation to promote peace, security and development in northern Ghana, Rev. Fr. Dr. Clement Aapengnuo, Team Lead at COGINTA Ghana, described the issue as a “serious business”.
He indicated that there is a lot of misinformation and disinformation in the system, noting social media, as well as artificial intelligence which has great potential, are being misused for misinformation and disinformation.
He explained that misinformation often stems from inadvertent dissemination due to misunderstanding or lack of verification, while he described disinformation as a deliberate act to mislead or for ulterior purpose.
“So, we can now understand why disinformation has become a tool for violent extremists,” he noted, adding: “This election year, we are going to get a lot of disinformation and it can affect our peace; it can affect our security and it is affecting our development”.
Threats in Bawku
Rev. Fr. Dr. Aapengnuo cited a concerning trend in Bawku, where people’s pictures are posted with false information about them and threatened with death, leading to fatal consequences.
“About seven people have died out of this,” he lamented, highlighting the serious consequences of misinformation and disinformation.
He has thus cautioned against the manipulation of narratives to incite fear and division ahead of the December 7 general elections, stressing the need for awareness creation by civil society organisations.
“The election year …people can create stories and make it look like if you don’t react things will overtake you and many of our people, once it is coming from the media, they’ll believe it,” he said.
CSOs, he said, have a role to play to counter misinformation and disinformation because they are in the communities and not only have local knowledge but also local understanding of issues better than anyone.
These CSOs, he said, have become the “the eyes and ears on the grounds” and for which reason, they “need to be intentional” in their efforts at countering misinformation and disinformation”.
Misinformation, disinformation still poorly understood.
Executive Director of Savana Signatures Dr. Stephen Agbenyo said violent extremists and terrorist organisations were increasingly using disinformation to achieve their aims, often targeting vulnerable populations in our conflict-affected communities.
However, he observed that the true speed, scale and multidimensional nature of these disinformation efforts are still poorly understood, making it difficult to detect and resist extremist disinformation narratives that drive radicalisation and recruitment.
“Misinformation has become a weapon in the world of politics, capable of influencing public opinion and potentially swaying election outcomes,” he said, and underscored the need to tackle the spread of false information and manipulative narratives as Ghana prepares for this year’s polls.
“One of the most significant impacts of misinformation on the election process is the erosion of trust in the democratic system. When voters are bombarded with false information, it becomes increasingly difficult for them to make informed decisions. This undermines the very foundation of democracy and manipulates voters,” he said.
Dr. Agbenyo explained that recognising the impact of misinformation and disinformation on peace, stability, and democracy, as well as livelihoods and quality of life, Savana Signatures is building and strengthening an ecosystem
for countering the proliferation of misinformation and disinformation of all kinds.
He therefore called for the support of all, especially donor organisations, to help in its efforts to counter misinformation and disinformation.
