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WHAT HAPPENED IN GHANA?   DU BOIS

Chancellor of the University of Ghana! What do you think?"

Caught up as I was by the lofty idealism behind this proposal, I was disappointed by my husband's response:

"Do you know the man?" he asked quietly.

The coup was well planned by a small group. The timing was perfect: President Nkrumah on the other side of the world and because of his absence no "state visitors" about. After the excitement and last minute rush of opening the big Dam and the vigilance necessary because of the hundreds of outsiders who came for the occasion, the country had relaxed. Visitors had gone home; guards were given "leave of absence."

Everything came off--or nearly everything. At the very beginning Major General Bawa was uncooperative. His allegiance to his Government and to his Commander-in-Chief seemed to take precedence over his allegiance to the Army. He had to be shot during the first hour! There were others who had to be dealt with in the same fashion. Then there was that senseless and costly obstinacy of the Guards at Flagstaff House and the equally foolish stand made by some Young Pioneers. There were pockets of resistance and foolhardy actions of individuals which caused more bloodshed. These incidents were "unfortunate" because the coup had planned to be "bloodless."

This is not the time or place to write of heroism and devotion. The numbers of dead are not known, perhaps will not be known for a long time.

Africa's reaction to the "coup" in Ghana

Africans heard of the coup in Ghana with incredulity and alarm. They regarded each other with dismay and asked, "Who will be next?" African states which are serious about unity expressed themselves in no uncertain terms. They invited President Nkrumah to their countries, offering him asylum and whatever help they could give. 

While being deeply grateful, asylum and refuge were not what Kwame Nkrumah wanted. He accepted President Sekou Touré's offer because Guinea offered him the nearest available approach to Ghana. But to his surprise Guinea received him with all the honors and ceremonies of the Head of State and the following day, at a national mass meeting, Sekou Touré announced his decision to step aside and, to the tumultuous cheers of multitude, Kwame Nkrumah was proclaimed President of the Republic of Guinea. Amazed westerners may laugh and scoff at this as a fantastic and meaningless

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