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Beyond the Return: 500 African-Americans Arrive in Ghana to Reconnect With Ancestral Roots
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Ghana has welcomed 500 African-Americans into the country under the government’s flagship “Beyond the Return” initiative, a programme designed to strengthen cultural, social, and economic ties between Ghana and the global African diaspora. The arrival marks another significant milestone in the country’s ongoing efforts to position itself as a home for people of African descent seeking reconnection with their ancestral heritage.
The Beyond the Return initiative builds on the success of the historic Year of Return campaign launched in 2019, which commemorated 400 years since the first enslaved Africans arrived in Jamestown, Virginia. That programme attracted thousands of diaspora visitors to Ghana and placed the country at the center of global conversations on heritage tourism, identity, and Pan-African unity.
The latest group of visitors is expected to take part in a series of activities aimed at deepening their engagement with Ghanaian culture and society. These include tours of historical sites such as Cape Coast Castle and Elmina Castle, cultural festivals, business and investment forums, and interactions with local communities. Organisers say the programme is structured not only as a visit but as an opportunity for long-term engagement.
Officials involved in the initiative note that Beyond the Return is focused on sustainable diaspora engagement, encouraging repeat visits, permanent relocation, business partnerships, and skills transfer. The programme has become a strategic tool for promoting tourism, boosting foreign direct investment, and strengthening people-to-people relations between Ghana and African-descended communities worldwide.
Many of the visitors have described their arrival as an emotional and spiritual journey, seeing Ghana as a place of healing, reconnection, and rediscovery. For some, the trip represents a chance to explore their roots for the first time, while others are returning to deepen relationships formed during previous visits.
The arrival of the 500 African-Americans has also generated excitement within local communities and the tourism sector. Hotels, tour operators, cultural performers, and small businesses are expected to benefit economically from the programme. Analysts say initiatives like Beyond the Return have helped diversify Ghana’s tourism offerings beyond leisure travel, positioning the country as a leading destination for heritage and diaspora tourism in Africa.
Since its introduction, Beyond the Return has expanded to include year-round events such as investment summits, cultural exchanges, music and arts festivals, and citizenship pathways for members of the diaspora. These efforts align with Ghana’s broader Pan-African vision of unity, shared history, and collective progress.
Government officials believe that sustained diaspora engagement will continue to yield long-term benefits for national development, including job creation, innovation, and cultural exchange. They emphasize that Ghana remains open and welcoming to people of African descent seeking to reconnect, invest, or settle in the country.
As the 500 visitors begin their journey across Ghana, the initiative once again reinforces the country’s message to the world — that Ghana is not just a destination, but a homecoming for the African diaspora.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has drawn attention to a fraudulent scheme orchestrated by criminal elements and scammers targeting unsuspecting members of the public.
The fraudsters have been found using the names of top NDLEA officials, most notably the Secretary to the Agency, Barrister Shadrach Haruna, to issue fake private letters and messages offering cheap forfeited vehicles for sale on auction.
The public is hereby notified that these offers are a complete scam. The Agency wishes to categorically state that these fraudulent offers are a malicious gimmick designed solely to defraud targeted individuals of their hard-earned money.
No official of the Agency has the mandate to privately offer, allocate, or sell forfeited vehicles or any other seized assets to individuals. Vehicles and other assets forfeited as proceeds of drug crimes are strictly auctioned through public processes managed by appointed, government-registered auctioneers. Any legitimate auction exercise is widely publicized in national dailies and through the Agency’s official channels, in line with established legal and public procurement guidelines.
Members of the public are strongly urged to discountenance, ignore, and report any such private letters, text messages, or social media offers claiming to originate from Barrister Shadrach Haruna or any other NDLEA official.
The NDLEA remains committed to maintaining transparency and integrity in all its operations. Do not fall victim to these criminal elements. If you are approached with such fraudulent offers, please report immediately to the nearest NDLEA command or via our official communication channels.
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
A faction of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) led by Nafiu Gombe has picked Professor Chris Uba as its presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.
The party disowned former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as its flag bearer.
The group said the party had already completed its presidential nomination process in line with its constitution and the Electoral Act, adding that Uba emerged as the recognized candidate after all required procedures were concluded.
The faction also disowned the National Working Committee headed by former Senate President David Mark, saying it has no constitutional or legal authority to act on behalf of the party.
It maintained that the recognized leadership of the ADC remains in charge of the party’s affairs.
According to the statement released on Wednesday, the clarification became necessary to stop attempts to create confusion about the party’s position ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The group said the ADC had not entered into any alliance, merger or coalition with any political party.
added that the party remains independent and intends to contest the elections with its own structure, manifesto and leadership.
The faction said it believes Uba has the experience, character and capacity to lead the country if elected in 2027.
It also warned Atiku against presenting himself as the ADC’s presidential candidate, saying such a claim is false and could mislead party members and the public.
The group added that the ADC would not allow its platform to be used by politicians pursuing personal ambitions or by coalition groups seeking to take over the party’s structure.
It said every constitutional and legal step would be taken to protect the party from what it described as unauthorised use of its name and platform.
The faction also dismissed reports suggesting that there were plans to stop the ADC from participating in the 2027 elections, expressing confidence in the Independent National Electoral Commission and the country’s electoral process.
It said the party is preparing to present candidates for the presidency, governorships, National Assembly, state assemblies and local government elections across the country.
Three brothers have appeared before the Mbabane Magistrates Court in Swaziland on a murder charge following the brutal de@th of their mother’s boyfriend.
The accused, Mlondi Mbuli, 25, Sakhelwe Mbuli, 18, and Lindani Mdziniso, 23, all from the Hholoshini area in Eswatini’s Hhohho Region, are alleged to have fatally assaulted Njabulo Ngwenya on June 28, 2026.
According to police, the brothers att@cked Ngwenya with bricks, stones, sticks, open hands, and kicks to different parts of his body. Investigators allege the assa¥lt was motivated by the brothers’ belief that Ngwenya was having a relationship with their biological mother.
Court records state that the incident was reported after Sibongile Motsa, also from Hholoshini, informed police that she discovered her son, Njabulo Ngwenya, lying deed inside her sister’s house at about 1 a.m. on June 28, 2026.
The matter came before Principal Magistrate Sfiso Vilakati during the trio’s initial court appearance.
The three defendants have been remanded in custody until July 10, 2026, pending committal of the case to the High Court for further proceedings.
Disclaimer: NDLEA alerts public on fraudulent auction offers impersonating officials
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