Africa Update Report with Advocate Sipho Mantula, Researcher: Thabo Mbeki African School of Public & International Affairs: Unisa

The National Briefing · Feb 25, 2026 · 5m

25 February 2026

1.    Ghana – Accra

Ghana renames Kotoka Airport, reigniting the military-led 1966 coup debate

Ghana has renamed its main international airport, dropping the name of a military officer linked to the 1966 overthrow of the country’s first president, Kwame Nkrumah. This move has reignited old political and historical tensions.

Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka, a senior army officer, was among those who helped topple Nkrumah’s government six decades ago. He was later killed at the same airport during an attempted countercoup in 1967…