Security expert Dr. Victor Doke has cautioned the public against rushing to blame any specific ethnic or social group in the aftermath of the recent shooting of a Kusasi youth leader in Asawase, which he describes as part of broader criminal activity.

Speaking on JoyNews’ The Pulse on Wednesday, July 23, Dr. Doke stated that the nature of the crime, which he describes as a close-range shooting, suggests careful planning and individual wrongdoing rather than communal violence.

“For a Kusasi youth leader in Asawase to have been killed at close range means there was a lot that went into it by the assailant. … This is more of criminal activities that have been going on, and, unfortunately, what will happen is there is always a quick interpretation to accuse a faction—to accuse a particular group of people as having a hand in it.”

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He warned against hasty accusations, stressing that these could inflame existing tensions and disrupt peacebuilding efforts.

“We should be careful not to be quick to accuse a certain group of people that will only escalate the tension.”

According to Dr. Doke, constructive community cooperation is vital, saying that the youth in Asawase are often well-placed to identify suspects due to their local knowledge.

“One of the ways we can get information to help the police – the youth know each other in the community, they are deep into activities they know of—so when the youth say they know those who did it, they may have some names. The police can start with that and check the names that they have. It’s just about inviting people, questioning them …”