Ghana rejects religious conflict claims by asylum seekers

By Brad Haynes SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Ghana has rejected claims from nearly 200 of its fans at the World Cup who have requested asylum in Brazil denying that there is any religious conflict in their country, the Deputy Information Minister said on Friday. The supporters have sought asylum in a southern Brazilian city over the past week on the grounds that they are fleeing religious conflict and officials expect the count to rise sharply, a state news agency reported on Thursday. Federal police in Caxias do Sul told Agencia Brasil they expected more than 1,000 Ghana fans to request asylum after entering the South American country on tourist visas to attend the month-long soccer tournament which ends on July 13. However, Ghana's Deputy Information Minister Felix Kwakye Ofosu said he was surprised that they had raised the issue of religious conflict as the reason they wanted asylum. "It is one of the most peaceful and stable countries in the world. There is no religious conflict of any nature in Ghana," he told Reuters. Ghana prides itself on its democratic stability and social harmony relative to other West African states. "The Brazilian embassy in Ghana issued 90-day visas to thousands of Ghanaians. If they fail to comply with the terms of those visas we expect that the Brazilian authorities would enforce their laws," he said. OFF-FIELD TROUBLES Some 700 people went to Brazil under the auspices of the government and by using corporate sponsorship and it would be wrong to suggest any of this group were seeking asylum, he said. The asylum request is the latest off-field trouble at the World Cup to hit Ghana, who reached the quarter-finals in 2010. A pay dispute over bonuses disrupted preparations for their final Group G match and infighting led to the suspension of midfielders Kevin-Prince Boateng and Sulley Muntari. To resolve the row, Ghana President John Mahama stepped in and cash was flown out to the players but they still failed to get past the group stage. Mahama has since called for an inquiry and soccer's world governing body FIFA has announced it will take steps to ensure similar pay disputes do not happen in future. [ID:nL4N0P83OO] Ghana played matches in the northeastern cities of Natal and Fortaleza plus the capital Brasilia before their exit. Job prospects have also drawn previous waves of African immigrants to southern Brazil.