The Opposition Member of Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee expressed concern over the escalating dispute in Bawku. They labelled it as a humanitarian crisis. They also see it as a threat to national security.
During his appearance on Joy News’ PM Express on Monday, 14th April, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour brought attention to using advanced weapons in the conflict zone. He warned that this could lead to a dangerous escalation. It could possibly spiral out of control if swift action is not taken.
According to him, the situation in Bawku has escalated into a full-blown humanitarian crisis. The death toll continues to climb, causing fear among the residents. As a result, children cannot attend school, and essential services such as education and healthcare are affected. Teachers, doctors, and nurses are refusing to work in Bawku.
“What the Minority is calling for is calm. First, we extend our condolences to the bereaved families, sympathies to the injured, and to those who have lost property…But more importantly, we say Bawku deserves peace, and for that to happen, all feuding factions must exercise absolute restraint”.
Although ethnic divides have historically fueled the Bawku conflict, Rev. Ntim Fordjour cautioned that its present path is much more concerning.
According to him, a concerning change has emerged. Not all attacks are now confined to the feuding factions alone. Instead, civilians and security forces are also caught in a dangerous standoff.
If the disagreement escalates to confrontations, it will involve officers tasked with safeguarding the public. It will also involve the citizens they are meant to preserve. In that case, we will enter bleak territory.
The Ranking Member’s most concerning disclosure was his depiction of the armaments’ magnitude and complexity. They were used in the war.
Rev. Fordjour expressed deep concern over the weapons available to those involved in the conflict zone, explicitly referring to their people.
The danger posed by the presence of these weapons has led to an increase in confrontations with law enforcement. Regardless of their source, the government must immediately prevent their circulation.
Rev. Fordjour urged swift and organised action to confront the origin of these armaments.
“This is no longer about machetes or homemade rifles. We’re talking about high-grade military-style arms being used in a domestic conflict. Such weaponry emboldens the factions and makes peacekeeping difficult for security forces.”
The MP pleaded for political unity and a nonpartisan approach. This responded to the question of what further steps the government should take.
According to him, the government’s initial priority should be to remove politics from this conflict. “One of the first things the government must do is to depoliticise this conflict. Every political actor must remove the undertones and underpinnings of politics from this. This is not the time for political point scoring,” he said.
He denounced the current practice of exploiting the conflict for political gain.
“We’ve heard the dangerous rhetoric, comments like ‘when a certain party is in power, Bawku is peaceful; when another is in power, the conflict escalates.’ This kind of narrative only serves to inflame tensions. We need to rise above it.”
Rev. Fordjour backed the mediation process led by Otumfuo, deeming it necessary to address the dispute’s traditional origins.
He maintained that any peace initiative would fail. This would happen unless swift measures were taken. It is crucial to disarm factions and restrict access to weapons.
“We are supporting the government in this. This is a nationalistic effort. But the government must step up more. We cannot pretend that this is business as usual. The kind of arms being used in Bawku right now are not the kind you find in regular criminal activity. This is organised, dangerous, and must be dealt with now.”
