Ghana has dispatched soldiers to Bawku, a conflict-prone town near the Burkina Faso border, following reports that gunmen killed three students over the weekend.
Saturday’s shooting has intensified concerns about escalating violence in the northern town, which is grappling with a long-standing chieftaincy dispute and fears of spillover from jihadist conflicts in the wider Sahel region.
Felix Kwakye Ofosu, Ghana’s Communications Minister and presidential spokesman, stated on Sunday that the government is shifting its approach “from peacekeeping to peace enforcement in Bawku and other affected areas due to the recent escalation of violence.”
Residents described the student killings as a deliberate ambush near a school.
Officials have confirmed an ongoing operation to secure educational institutions, with a 2 PM to 6 AM curfew imposed in Bawku and its environs to facilitate student evacuations.
Credit: BBC
“We assure the public that the Ghana Armed Forces will take all necessary measures to protect lives and property,” Ofosu affirmed, urging all parties to support the peace process.
The crisis in Bawku primarily stems from a decades-long dispute between the Mamprusi and Kusasi ethnic groups over the rightful occupant of the Bawku chieftaincy seat. This isn’t the first time Ghana has reinforced security in the area; in 2023, 1,000 more troops and police were sent to Bawku after an immigration officer was killed near the Burkina Faso border.
Bawku’s proximity to Burkina Faso, a country where Islamist militants have displaced millions and created numerous cross-border security concerns, makes the situation particularly sensitive.
Ghana’s army has notably increased patrols along its northern frontier in recent months to mitigate potential spillovers from the Sahel’s various conflicts.
