Ghana: Government Cracks Down on Religious Organizations

The Ghanaian government, the Provisional National Defence Council(PNDC), has attempted to crack down on churches and other religious organizations through the imposition of a controversial new law. PNDC Law 221 requires all religious bodies to register with the Ministry of the Interior, so as to make them "accountable" to the government. The law is being opposed by Ghana's major churches on the grounds that it constitutes an infringement of fundamental rights, as guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.