Kojo Boakye-Djan
Major Kojo Boakye-Djan (or Kwadwo Boakye Djan[1]) was a Ghanaian military officer and coup plotter. He is known to have planned the coup that brought Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings to power in Ghana on 4 June 1979 with other junior officers.[2][3]
Kojo Boakye-Djan | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council | |
| In office 4 June 1979 – 24 September 1979 | |
| President | Flt. Lt. Jerry Rawlings |
| Personal details | |
| Nationality | Ghanaian |
| Alma mater | Achimota School |
| Profession | Soldier |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Ghana Armed Forces |
| Branch/service | Ghana Army |
| Rank | Major |
| Unit | Fifth Infantry Battalion |
Early life
Boakye-Djan attended Secondary school at Opoku Ware School for his O Levels his sixth form at the Achimota School. He was also the best man at the wedding of Rawlings and Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings.[4]
Military career
He was with the Fifth Infantry Battalion prior to the 4 June 1979 coup d'état which replaced the Supreme Military Council government with the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council.[4]
Politics
Boakye-Djan formed the Free Africa Movement with some colleagues in the early 1970s and they were planning to take power in the 1980s as senior officers in the army.[5] Their planning was still at an early stage and the 15 May 1979 abortive coup attempt by Flight Lieutenant Rawlings forced them into initiating theirs as some of them were being arrested on suspicion of plotting against the military government. It appears it was one of his members, Peter Tasiri who actually initiated the coup on the day. There appeared to be a lot of confusion and no clear leadership during the coup events.[4] In 2003 he said that the main purpose was to save Rawlings, who was facing a possible death sentence for planning a coup in the previous month.[6] During an interview in 2017, he stated that he and Rawlings had grown apart and had not spoken to each other since the end of the AFRC rule.[7]
Post AFRC
Boakye-Djan went to the United Kingdom under a UNDP Fellowship for postgraduate studies.[7] This was at a time when the Limann government sent most former members of the AFRC abroad.[5] He was also affiliated with the National Democratic Congress.[7]
References
- Lartey, Chris (25 July 2006). "1979 AFRC handover blues". The Statesman. Archived from the original on 12 February 2010. Retrieved 3 January 2009.
- "I've not spoken to Rawlings in 41 years – Boakye Djan". Graphic Online. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
- "CID Charges Kojo Boakye Djan With Offensive Conduct". DailyGuide Network. 21 May 2020. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
- Singh, Naunihal (2014). "6 Coups form the Bottom – Ghana, June 1979". Seizing power : the strategic logic of military coups. Baltimore, Maryland: The Scarecrow Press. pp. 162–170. ISBN 978-1421413365.
- Shipley, Jesse Weaver (24 November 2020). "The passing of Jerry John Rawlings". africasacountry.com. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
- "Why I saved Rawlings – Boakye Djan". New African Magazine. Modern Ghana Media Communication. Retrieved 3 January 2009.
- "Hot Issues with Major Boakye Gyan (RTD) – 24/6/2017" (video). TV3 Network Limited Ghana. 24 June 2017. Archived from the original on 15 December 2021. Retrieved 1 April 2021 – via YouTube.
06:35 to 06:55 minutes