Kofi Ampeah Woode
The General Officer Commanding (GOC), Northern Command (N/COMD), Ghana Army – Brigadier General (Brig Gen) Frank Nartey Tei visited the Task Force – operating under N/COMD – set up to support the Ghana Police Service and civil authority, in restoring/maintaining law and order at Bawku, in the Upper East Region of Ghana, following resurgence of clashes in conflict.
The first destination of the GOC’s visit on Friday 1 November 2024, was at Walewale, where there had been some incidents of conflicts recorded, resulting in nine (9) persons being killed in two separate incidents along the Bolgatanga-Walewale Highway.
The GOC expressed satisfaction with the professionalism exhibited by reinforced troops at the Walewale Detachment, and urged them to maintain their level of professionalism, after which he met with the Upper East Regional Police Second-in-Command, and the Walewale District Police Commander, at the Walewale District Police Headquarters.
The GOC addressed troops made up of soldiers and police personnel at the Walewale District Police Headquarters, where he commended them for their efforts, hard work, and their level of cooperation, towards ensuring peace and security in the area.
The GOC and his team later went to Bazua – Headquarters, Joint Task Force (JTF) Bawku – in the Binduri District of the Upper East Region, where he was briefed on current incidents within Bawku and its environs, by the JTF Bawku Commander – Colonel (Col) Appah Yaw Owusu.
After the brief, the JTF Commander accompanied the GOC’s entourage which visited various locations of deployment of soldiers in Bawku, where General Tei, on behalf of the Military High Command (MHC), commended soldiers for the able manner in which they have dealt with the situation, urging them to stay impartial in the discharge of their duties.
He then assured soldiers of the unflinching support of the MHC in ensuring that military logistics, additional personnel reinforcement, and conditions needed by troops to perform optimally were provided, to increase operational efficiency, and to achieve their mission of helping bring peace to Bawku and its environs.
He further admonished them to operate within the Rules of Engagement (ROE), and remember to exercise the Right to Self Defence, defence of any person from violence or for defence of property.
The GOC then visited the Bawku District and Divisional Police Headquarters, where he underscored the need for Inter-Agency Cooperation and unity of effort between the military, police and other sister security agencies in the area, to achieve desired results.
Later in the day, the GOC and his team visited the Upper East Regional Coordinating Council in Bolgatanga, where he met with the Upper East Regional Minister – Alhaji Dr Hafiz Bin Salih and members of the Upper East Regional Security Council (REGSEC).
During the meeting with the Regional Minister and the REGSEC, the GOC briefly outlined the interventions made by the MHC, following the escalation of the crises in Bawku, from 18 October 2024.
Mention was made of provision and deployment of additional military logistics, increase in the number of personnel in the area, and expressed optimism in delivering results, with the concerted efforts at resolving the Bawku crises.
He also asserted that if measures were not taken in time, to deescalate the conflict and work towards lasting peace and security in the area, Terrorist Armed Groups (TAGs) operating within the Sahel could infiltrate Ghana, using the Bawku conflict as a conduit.
After his meeting with the Upper East Regional Minister and the REGSEC, the GOC visited the Headquarters of 11 Mechanized Battalion (11 Mech Bn), Abilba Barracks in Bolgatanga, where he was briefed by the Commander Rear (Cdr/R) – Lieutenant Colonel Kakra Sasu-Antwi.
The GOC interacted with Officers and Soldiers at the Abilba Barracks, and admonished them to continue working professionally to support civil authority to restore/maintain law and order in all areas of the regions.
In February 2023, the Ghana Armed Forces deployed a Task Force to support the Ghana Police Service and civil authority in restoring or maintaining law and order, in the Bawku conflict.
The incidents in the Walewale general area in October 2024, demonstrates ample evidence to the assessment that if appropriate measures are not taken in time, in respect of the Bawku conflict, parts of the North East Region, could record spillovers.
Credit: Operations Cell, HQ Northern Command
