Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterpart in Ghana on (a) the murder of journalist Ahmed Hussein-Suale Divela and (b) the beating and detention of journalist Malik Sullemana in that country.

​We were deeply saddened by the killing of Ahmed Hussein-Suale and offered our condolences to his family and friends. Our High Commissioner in Ghana has made representations to the Government of Ghana, including through a statement made alongside other European Union Heads of Missions in Ghana. We continue to urge the authorities to ensure that there is a full investigation into the matter. As the Foreign Secretary set out on 18 January those responsible must face justice. Our High Commissioner is closely monitoring events following the beating and detention of a Ghanaian Times journalist, Malik Sullemana in 2018. We are in contact with the Ghanaian Times and the Ghanaian Police, and have urged the authorities to conclude their investigation into the matter.

The UK is committed to the promotion of media freedom and the protection of journalists worldwide. The Foreign Secretary has launched an international campaign to end the climate of impunity and mobilise a consensus behind the protection of journalists. In the coming year and beyond, we are going to increase the global spotlight on media freedom as an important issue.