Ghana security forces rescue kidnapped Canadian women

Canadians charity volunteers, aged 19 and 20, were kidnapped on the evening of June 4 in Kumasi, Ghana's second city. AFP

Two Canadian women who were kidnapped in Ghana earlier this month have been rescued by security forces.

The rescue operation took place in the early hours of Wednesday – the government said in a statement – in Kumasi, Ghana's second city, which is about 200 kilometres northwest of the capital Accra.

The women, aged 19 and 20, are charity volunteers for Youth Challenge International, which is based in Toronto.

Ghana has seen a rise in kidnappings recently, but President Nana Akufo-Addo has vowed to crack down on the perpetrators amid fears that tourism could be harmed.

This was the second time in less than a month that foreigners were targeted in Kumasi, with local media reporting that an Indian national had also been abducted and rescued.

However, the country has been considered one of the safest in the region for travellers, with abductions and violent crime towards foreigners rare.