A Lecturer at Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Center (KAIPTC), has advised the military against the use of brute force in resolving the conflict in Bawku.

According to Dr Victor Doke, if brute force is used, there would be some sort of retaliation.

“I will not suggest brute force because when you use brute force, then you are equally telling the youth also to engage with brutality.”

His comment was in response to a question about whether the happening in Bawku needs brute force or civil engagement to resolve the situation.

Speaking in an interview on JoyNews’ The Probe on Sunday, he said he would rather expect stakeholders such as the National Peace Council, stake security, Civil Society Organisations, Bawku inter-ethnic peace committee to engage to resolve the issue at hand.

“I would always support the aspect of civil engagement,” he said.

According to him, the concerns of both parties in the conflict should be tackled for both sides to be appeased.

Dr Doke added that during the engagement, the stakeholders should ensure that the conflict does not recur. This, he explained, is because most of the conflict resolution process is always started and halted at a point.

It would be recalled that on February 1st, 2023, the military deployed to Bawku to maintain peace in the area was accused of killing 10 residents.

This enraged the youth in the area who called for justice for the deceased.

Meanwhile, the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has rejected claims that its personnel deployed to Bawku to restore calm and maintain order have killed seven locals.

According to GAF, the reportage is untrue and should be ignored. 

GAF in a press release issued on Thursday, February 2, and signed by its Director of Public Relations, chronicled several incidents of violent attacks in the area. 

The release stated that the soldiers engaged a group of armed men and neutralised six of them.

“In a separate incident, sporadic firing was heard around Sabongari General Area. A Patrol Team dispatched to assess the situation spotted unknown armed men at Gozesi-Valley side in Sabongari wearing black T-shirts with Black Hoodies. 

Troops engaged them and neutralised six armed men. During the engagement, some armed men took cover in a mud house within the immediate vicinity to engage the Team.”

But Member of Parliament for the area, Mahama Ayariga, says he will seek justice for his constituents who were killed by the military. Despite the defence by the military, he stated in an interview on Newsfile on Saturday, that he will get to the root of the matter.