The innocent souls in a conflict zone of Bawku and the weak security architecture

This is a documentation of an event in the small town of Bawku in the Upper East Region of Ghana. Bawku is a town with several ethnic groups but the major and populated group is the amalgamation of the Bissas, also known as Busangas and Kusasis and some Mamprusis.

Bawku is a very small town with no tangible resources. The main occupation is mainly farming and trading.

The poverty level is high, civilization is low and the educational level is relatively average, compared to the urban cities.

Politics in the area is not a means for development; it is a tool to create animosity, hatred and kill each other.

In my quest to unravel the conflict and its associated effects in the area, I extended my research into the negative effect the conflict has impacted on the youth of the town.

We came across so many residents of the town who, in confidence, explained to us the damage the conflict has done to their families. Most of them have been rendered jobless while others are killed for no apparent reason.

One of the most interesting parts of the story is when I came across three gentlemen, namely, Awudu Mohammed, Atinga George, and Abdul Aziz Wasiu.

In their separate narration during an interview, Atinga said he believes the government is doing very little to improve the security of the residents.

He said he lost his mother in the conflict, concluding that government should rather be arresting ethnic leaders; compel them to sign a bond of peaceful coexistence, which would also clearly define the appropriate sanctions defined in the event of any violation.

In the case of Mohammed Awudu, he postulates that there is a deliberate policy by politicians to gain political points during such conflicts.

His theory is that these conflicts erupt only when the NPP is in power. He recounted the historical background to the conflicts in the area, recollecting that, when the NPP assumed power in 2001, the fight broke out again but, immediately the NDC took over power in 2009, and the fight ceased.

This apparent lull in the area lasted till 2017 when NDC lost power. Mohammed is convinced that, anytime NPP is in power, the youth always engages in those criminal acts.

He called on the government to put its feet on the ground to curb the menace. According to Mohammed, this latest conflict erupted in 2021, during which he lost his property, both the family house and shop were burnt, and his family members had to flee the town.

He is currently hiding and sleeping in the houses of friends.

Another witness, Abdul Aziz Wasiu, (not his real name because he spoke to us on condition of anonymity) showed us pictures of his attacks. His story is no different to that of the other guys.

We saw Wasiu when we visited a sub-chief in the area. Wasiu went there in search of shelter. It was there we had the opportunity to talk to him.
He declined to grant us the interview for fear of his life.

His crime, according to him, was that his grandfather was a target, and by extension, the entire family became a target.

Wasiu and his family had to flee the town, and he can't even locate where they are. He said one of his brothers left for Spain by land for survival.

Wasiu he said, he runs and took refuge in Accra to start a new life but the same assassins are still after him.

He said he was traced in Accra, and most of his properties were pulled down. According to him, he escaped a knife attack from those bandits.

Wasiu told us he later run back to Tamale to stay with his brother where he said he was attacked in a car in which he and his cousin were travelling.

According to him, his grandfather died in that process.

Wasiu also believes the government is not providing them with the necessary security.

The anecdotal cases of these three youths listed above show a representation of what the youth in Bawku is going through.

As a freedom and peace advocate, I have petitioned the office of the president to look into these concerns and bring back the good image of the town and make sure that any youth who violates the law for their selfish and parochial interest is brought to book to serve as a deterrent to other.