Media reports indicate that two persons were recently shot dead by unknown assailants at Asawase, a suburb Kumasi. These dead persons reportedly belong to the Kussasi and Mamprusi ethnic groups respectively. The shootings, which are being linked to the Bawku crisis forced the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Christian Yohuno, to visit the crime scene and assured the public that there would be swift police investigation into the killings.
Earlier, the Ashanti Regional Security Council (REGSEC) had also issued a statement to announce to the public about the ban of the use of motorbikes after 7pm at Asawase and its surrounding areas. Motor riders have also been banned from wearing the popular traditional wear – Fugu – when they are riding in the Kumasi metropolis.
The decision, according to the REGSEC, is based on the fact that those who shot and killed their victims in the Kumasi suburb hid their weapons in the Fugu they were wearing. But whilst the situation in Kumasi appears to have been brought under control, following heavy deployment of security personnel who are patrolling the streets day and night, the same cannot be said about the Upper East region.
Again, media reports indicate that two students have been shot dead on their respective campuses at Bawku and Nalerigu Senior High Schools. The development has once again been attributed to the Bawku conflict. The latest incidences have forced the government to deploy military to Bawku and its surrounding towns and villages to ensure law and order.
Ghana is considered as one of the most peaceful countries in the West Africa. In fact, we have held on to this enviable position for a long time. Unfortunately, the Bawku conflict appears to be eroding this gain. This conflict has been with us for ages, but it seems to have taken a new twist in recent years. Parties to the dispute seem to be extending their operations beyond the borders of Bawku and this is where the danger lies.
If care is not taken, the conflict will engulf the whole country. It is upon the basis of this that The Chronicle fully supports the deployment of military personnel to Bawku. As the adage goes, when persuasion fails, force must be applied. All mediations upon have failed to resolve the issue.
As we put this piece together, the Government of Ghana has tasked Otumfuo Osei Tutu II to mediate in the conflict. The respected chief had already invited the parties to separate meetings at the Manhyia Palace. It is, therefore, surprising that whilst these meetings are going on, people supposedly connected to the conflict are being killed in Kumasi and other parts of the country.
In our opinion, this conflict has moved from chieftaincy to complete criminal conducts being exhibited by some of the protagonists. The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) must, therefore, descend heavily on them. This is not the time for human rights activists to be raising their voices. Of course, The Chronicle expects the GAF to be professional in this latest deployment by dealing ruthlessly with the criminals and NOT innocent civilians.
Since the conflict is being extended to the south, The Chronicle expects the police to intensify their searches on motorbike riders, especially during the night. Some of these criminals can carry weapons and yet pretend to be doing delivery work.
Also, anytime the criminals are arrested for carrying powerful weapons such as Ak47 and G3 among others, the police must use all reasonably force available to them for the suspects to disclose the source of the supply of the weapons. The manner these powerful weapons are falling into the hands of civilians is very worrying and the state must do something urgently to stem the tide.
Since the days of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana has been a peaceful country. We should, therefore, not sit down for this Bawku conflict to blow the country apart, as it is happening to other countries in the sub region. The time to take decisive action is now – no more room for diplomacy, which has failed us all these years.
