GAF’s use of force in Bawku unfortunate; likely to escalate conflict

Security analyst, Colonel Festus Aboagye (Rtd), has rebuked the Ghana Armed Forces for using force during recent disturbances at Bawku.

The military has been accused of killing ten civilians to which the Ghana Armed Forces denied and explained that its personnel only moved to the area to neutralise some residents who were firing sporadically.

GAF explained that personnel from the Force “conducted cordon and search operations together with Bawku Police at Pateleme General Area” to disarm residents.

Colonel Aboagye intimated that the outcome of the supposed cordon and search activity has defeated the explanations given by the military in the area because the exercise didn’t yield any seizure of the weapons for which the exercise was conducted.

“When you organize a cordon and search operation, it is based on an item of intelligence and there must be evidence to justify the operation. I have had occasions to link this happening in Bawku to Ayawaso West Wuogon that if indeed there were armed elements with military-grade weapons and therefore the military cordoned and searched the area, the military must have seized weapons and they must present those weapons and it is not sufficient to just issue a statement that we engaged people that were sporadically firing their weapons.”

“Any activity that the military conducts must have at least two dimensions; it must have the technical military dimension and information and you can reinforce your information activity by presenting the evidence so at the end of cordon and search operation, weapons should have been seized and presented for all to see,” Col Aboagye told Selorm Adonoo on Eyewitness News.