From Ken Sackey, GNA Special Correspondent, on Board GNS Azone

Tema, March 23, GNA - Two Ghana Navy vessels - GNS Anzone and GNS Bonsu - have returned to Tema after successfully evacuating Ghanaians from Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.

In all, 428 Ghanaians, including 16 women and 12 children, 175 Malians, and a few other nationals from Nigeria, Togo, Benin and Burkina Faso were on Friday evacuated from Malabo, the Island Capital of Equatorial Guinea, following political insecurity in that country. President John Agyekum Kufuor dispatched the two Naval vessels to Malabo, Equatorial Guinea to evacuate Ghanaians stranded in that country.

Both vessels left Accra, Ghana on Tuesday, March 16 and took about three and half days to reach Malabo.

On arrival on Friday morning, an Equatorial Guinea Navy boat approached the Ghana Navy vessels and told the Captains that they could not berth and they had to anchor off the coast of that country. The Captain of GNS ANZONE, the Flagship of the Ghana Navy, Naval Captain Godson Zowonoo then contacted the Ghanaian Consular in Equatorial Guinea, Mr Dominic Aboagye, who said the Ghanaians would be brought to the ships.

Personnel on both vessels, including Journalists, Health Workers and officers from the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) were not allowed to disembark.

After the Ghanaians had been taken on board, the 175 Malians resident in Malabo, the island capital of Equatorial Guinea were also allowed on board.

Naval Captain Zowonoo had earlier refused to allow them on board because the order given to him when he set-sail from Ghana did not include the evacuation of other nationals.

However, when the Ghanaian Consular in Equatorial Guinea, Mr Dominic Aboagye informed him that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had directed that other Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) nationals, who wanted to leave that country, should also be evacuated, he allowed them on board.