The Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG) has announced the deployment of a special task force to Bawku for surveillance in light of the renewed chieftaincy conflict in the area, which has raised security concerns ahead of the December 7 elections.
The Bawku township has become a focal point for security discussions as tensions related to the chieftaincy dispute have escalated, adding to the uncertainty ahead of the elections.
In an interview during IDEG’s 2024 National Elections Situation Room, Dr. Emmanuel Akwetey, Executive Director of IDEG, confirmed the deployment of the special task force to Bawku to ensure security and proper monitoring of the area ahead of the elections.
“We sent people to Bawku to do the surveillance and to report and also talk to other NGOs, CSOs, the police, military people. It is an integral part of Ghana.
“Everybody who joins the civic forum or our teams on elections whether you like it or not, the organisations involved have some kind of responsibility to their welfare and safety. Depending on the analysis we do, people could be put in other regions but we will link up with those there to verify and get information that we think has some basis and therefore we can speak to it or use it.
“So we have to take the environmental conditions into account. If any of our observers and collaborators get shot, you could see how it will impact the whole operation. So we do thorough jobs, we talk to the police and other civil society organisations then we decide whether to go ourselves or we could collaborate”, he stated.
Dr. Akwetey also urged stakeholders to exercise caution in the dissemination of information concerning the elections to prevent any escalation of tensions.
Bawku remains under a 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. curfew enforced by security agencies. The conflict, which resurfaced in late October 2024, has led to frequent shootings, particularly during curfew hours.
The situation remains tense, with both residents and security forces struggling to contain the violence in the region. The total death toll in the area to 33 since the conflict resurfaced in October this year.
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