'This is no longer tribal, it’s armed rebellion' - Minority warns as Bawku tensions escalate - MyJoyOnline (2025)

The Ranking Member of Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee is worried that the Bawku conflict has spiraled far beyond a mere tribal dispute.

Rev. John Ntim Fordjour further described it as an “armed rebellion” that now directly targets security forces, endangering national stability and humanitarian operations.

Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Monday, he said, “The death toll is rising. People are living in fear. Children can’t go to school.

"No essential services are thriving at the moment. Teachers, doctors, and nurses are refusing postings to Bawku. Essential services are crippling, and this is really dire for our humanitarian efforts.”

The Assin South MP expressed concern over the rapidly evolving nature of the violence, particularly the disturbing trend of clashes between youth and state security personnel.

“The new dimension of the conflict seems to be taking a turn, not just between feuding factions, but between one of the factions and the security services. That is very dangerous,” he stressed.

“If the conflict is now extending beyond tribal lines into clashes with the very people meant to protect us, that can also be very dangerous.”

Rev. Fordjour was emphatic that Ghana cannot afford to allow Bawku to descend further into lawlessness.

He called for immediate, depoliticized action from the government and political class.

“One of the first things they have to do is to view this conflict as one whose solution cannot be politicised,” he said.

“Every political tendency, undertone, or underpinning must be removed. We need to refrain from politicising this and recognize that the solution must be national, not partisan.”

The legislator criticised public comments made during previous election cycles that suggested the Bawku conflict flares or calms depending on which political party is in power.

“We’ve heard statements suggesting that when a certain party is in power, the conflict escalates. When another party is in power, it calms down. This is not the time for that. It only fuels mistrust and division.”

The lawmaker also highlighted the alarming proliferation of high-powered weapons in the area, warning that the conflict’s militarisation is emboldening factions to challenge the state.

“You look at the kind of weapons our people have access to in the conflict zone — it is troubling. It is so dangerous,” he said.

“It is part of the reason why there’s that seeming confidence to even have a standoff against the security agencies.”

Rev. Fordjour urged the government to act swiftly and decisively to trace and halt the flow of arms into Bawku, stressing that the state must restore control before the situation deteriorates further.

“Wherever that source of weaponry gets into the conflict zone, government needs to take urgent action,” he said.

In closing, the MP extended his condolences to the bereaved families and sympathies to those injured or displaced.

But he issued a stark call to all parties: “Bawku deserves peace, and for peace to prevail, we want all feuding parties to exercise absolute restraint. If one faction attacks and the other feels the need to retaliate, then further escalation is inevitable.”

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