The Bawku conflict is unfortunate — Peace Council

Alhaji Sumaila Issaka, the Chairman of the Upper East Regional Peace Council, says the recurrent conflict in Bawku is unfortunate.

He said the sporadic shooting and killing of innocent people were unnecessary and criminal.

“We don’t know who is fighting who, is it Mamprusis fighting Kussasis or Kussasis fighting Moshies, or vice versa or is it an ‘all for all war’ or people want to sell their arms, because those dying belong to all the tribes”, Mr Issaka said.

He said the Bawku area was cosmopolitan with different tribes living together.

The Regional Peace Council Chairman, who shared his experience with the Ghana News Agency after a recent working visit to the Bawku Municipality and its environs, said he had to take a long detour from Binduri district to Garu to Pusiga District before arriving at Misiga, just to avoid volatile areas.

He said businesses at the shops, markets, vehicular and human movement within Bawku had virtually slowed to a halt except the Highways area towards the middle of the Township, where commercial vehicles load passengers and goods.

Meanwhile, the Upper East Regional Coordinating Council in collaboration with the Regional Security Council (REGSEC) at its emergency meeting on Monday, September 19, reviewed the security situation in the area, as part of efforts to enforce additional measures, following recent shootings and fighting in Bawku.

In a letter signed by the Chief Director, Regional Coordinating Council, Mr Inusah Abubakari Alhaji, on behalf of the Regional Minister and copied to the Bawku Municipal Security Council, REGSEC directed that, “only the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Immigration Service and the Military are allowed to use official motor bikes between 0600hours to 1800hours”.

Other measures include a temporary ban on Tricycle, commonly called ‘Yellow Yellow’ operations until further notice and extension of curfew to cover Nayoko, Kpalgu and Manga communities.