In the early hours of 4 June 1979, a group of junior soldiers broke into a cell in Accra and freed a young air force officer who was on trial for mutiny. By the end of the day, Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings was on the radio, and Ghana’s military government had fallen. The Armed Forces Revolutionary Council ruled for only about three months, but its “house cleaning” exercise, including the execution of former heads of state, left a mark on Ghanaian politics that is still debated today.
The background and the uprising
In the late 1970s, Ghana’s economy was in crisis. Inflation was high, goods were scarce and many people blamed corruption among military rulers. The country was ruled by the Supreme Military Council. General Ignatius Kutu Acheampong had been replaced in 1978 by General Fred Akuffo. On 15 May 1979, Rawlings led a failed mutiny. He was arrested and put on trial, where his speeches about corruption won him sympathy.
On 4 June, soldiers freed him and overthrew the government. Rawlings became chairman of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council, or AFRC.
House cleaning, executions and the election
The AFRC launched what it called a house-cleaning exercise against corruption. Officers, traders and officials were arrested and tried. In June 1979, eight senior officers were executed by firing squad, including three former heads of state: Acheampong, Akuffo and Akwasi Afrifa. Traders were accused of hoarding and overcharging. Makola market in Accra was demolished in the same period.
Elections that had already been planned went ahead. Dr Hilla Limann of the People’s National Party won. On 24 September 1979, the AFRC handed power to Limann’s civilian government.
Rawlings returns and divided memories
On 31 December 1981, Rawlings overthrew Limann and led the country for the next two decades. Supporters remember June 4 as a stand against corruption. Critics remember fear, beatings and executions without fair trials. June 4 was once a public holiday in Ghana, but it was removed from the list of holidays in the early 2000s. Members of the National Democratic Congress continue to mark the date each year.
The AFRC held power for less than four months. Ghanaians are still arguing about what it did in that time, more than forty years later.
